The Last True Eminent Thropp
by Ridiculous Mavis
Summary: Socialite Galinda becomes embroiled in the mission of Elphaba, Eminent Thropp and all round renegade. Politics. Intrigue. Gunfights. Riots. Kisses. Gelphie. AU bookverse.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Socialite Galinda becomes embroiled in the mission of Elphaba, Eminent Thropp and all round renegade. Politics. Intrigue. Gunfights. Riots. Kisses. Gelphie. (AU bookverse.)

Author's note: We are T for now but it's going to go M because gunfights mean violence and kisses mean... y'know. A huge thank you to my beta, The Songwriter's Ghost, who has been ridiculously amazing. I would love to know what everyone thinks.

* * *

"Have you yet made the acquaintance of the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland?"

Gazing off in to the distance, entirely bored by the conversation taking place around her, Galinda was prompted back to reality. "Indeed not," she recovered enough to reply to her questioner, a boorish old banker and his simpering wife whose dress was at least two seasons past its fashion.

"You would surely have remembered," he said, voice laced with vulgar speculation. His wife and the fourth member of the group giggled along.

Of course Galinda had heard rumours about the young Eminence but would never reveal she was party to such petty gossip, even while it fuelled her social powers. Besides, she never forgot anyone she met. Indeed she would be noting never to invite any of this lot to her own parties. The current affair had been turning out something of a bust. However the prospect of meeting the Eminent Thropp was an enticing one. There were few such dignitaries Galinda was not in contact with, never mind had not met.

What did they say about her? Galinda mentally reviewed her evidence, allowing the conversation to continue around her. The Eminent Thropp kept herself to herself, sequestered away at Colwen Grounds. The previous Eminence, her grandfather – no, it was great grandfather – had been well known in the Emerald City. Galinda herself had met him several times but she had been no more than a child then. He never mentioned his great granddaughter even when Galinda told him her age, which she later knew was the same. He died shortly after Galinda married, too sick to attend the formal wedding reception.

Galinda had been twenty then, young and foolish. So the new Eminence must have ascended at the same age. Goodness. Too young for that sort of position, a dull as dishwater affair. Perhaps that was why she was hiding out. Didn't want to get in to it. Yet the other rumours were different. She was involved in politics. The wrong kind of politics, or at least on the wrong side of the political climate. Then there had been that strange hushed-up scandal with the Animals a few years ago.

Society said she was a recluse but clearly that was not entirely the case, being as she would be attending here. But in five years Galinda had attended all the best events and parties and not yet met her. So perhaps she was. Time would tell.

Inevitably it caused something of a stir that the so-called recluse would be in attendance tonight, at a quite routine sort of a gathering. Galinda had almost begged out of it earlier but there was little else to do. Clearly such things happened for a reason.

As if deliberately timed to cut off the conjecture the lady in question arrived.

"The Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland," announced the footman.

Galinda tried not to be so eager to glance up and over at the door. Meeting with people was her stock in trade. Still, she had to admit she was intrigued.

The Eminent Thropp, tall and tense, strode a few paces in to the room, stopping to greet their hosts. She was followed by a short variety of Munchkin who bustled behind her. She gripped the hand of both her male and female hosts in a strong-looking handshake, eschewing any curtsey. Her dress was severe and little more than a length of cloth draped over her with a high collar, long sleeves and ankle length skirt. And she was really quite green. Galinda had imagined it as a tint or a shade. This was green through and through.

The whole room had stopped to watch. Her Eminence was well aware and turned to the party as a whole. Galinda imagined she might drop a curtsey now, but she didn't. She put two fingers to her brow and flicked them away quickly in a funny little salute. Then she headed off towards the buffet through the murmurs both captivated and horrified. The Munchkin hurried after her, a vague look of distress on his face.

The arrival of other high profile guests called attention away. There were jewels to be admired, new hairstyles to be scrutinised, gowns to fawn over. The appearance of the Eminent Thropp was soon overshadowed. Not for Galinda however.

Galinda skirted the room, doing a little reconnaissance, eyes fixed on the mysterious Eminence. The Munchkin was straining on his tiptoes to mutter discreetly as close to her ear as he could get, which was not very. Whilst not all Munchkinlanders were short there were few quite so tall. And none at all so green.

"The man in the hat –"

"The outrageous hat." Her voice was low, her tone sarcastic, her eyebrows knotted together most unattractively.

"Fine, outrageous hat. He's the Arch-"

"The Archduke Jette, yes, I know."

"Really, Elphie," the Munchkin whined in a miserable and overly familiar way. "What is the point of my being here – or your aide at all – if there is nothing for me to do!"

Galinda decided it was time to make her arrival. She would not wait to be introduced, instead she gathered herself, glanced down at her dress to make sure all was in order, fiddled with her handbag and approached. She looped back around to the centre of the room so she was coming at them straight on.

Fixing her trademark smile she planted herself in front of the curious pair. "I am Galinda of the Arduennas of the Uplands, Lady Chuffrey." Properly she should be Lady Chuffrey first and foremost, then her mother's birthright. But it was a concession to etiquette she still could not bear herself to make.

The Eminent Thropp looked down at her. "It is good to meet you, Lady Chuffrey." She didn't introduce herself. She didn't need to. The woman had opted for the correct honorific so clearly she was choosing to break the rules in full knowledge of them, rather than in accidental ignorance. Still though she offered her hand.

Galinda took it. Why not? It was not every day one got to touch green skin. "Your Eminence." She curtsied.

Her Eminence laughed. There was a hint of disdain. "Call me Elphaba."

"I really don't think –"

"Oh, come along. We are peers are we not? The three of us I should say are the youngest in the room by a clear score of years. I cannot cope with any more 'Eminencing'."

Galinda exhaled sharply, not sure whether to be pleased or horrified, laugh or run away.

The Munchkin rushed forward. "Lady Chuffrey, please do excuse her Eminence. We have only this afternoon arrived in the City and she is tired from the journey."

"Rubbish. I am nothing of the sort."

He ignored her. Galinda began to think this wise. "I am Boq, aide to her Eminence." He took Galinda's hand and bowed. She curtsied. All very proper. Master Boq had been underestimated.

"Thank you, Master Boq, it is very good to meet you."

He tipped his head graciously in return. "The pleasure is mine."

Galinda looked back at the green woman to see her rolling her eyes.

Rather than intimidate or peeve Galinda it served more to galvanise her. "How is it we have never met before, _Elphaba_, and yet here you are?" If the incredibly informal mode of address had been some sort of dare or bluff Galinda had called it out. But Elphaba seemed hardly to notice.

"I do not get out much. And if I do I prefer not to be engaged in this kind of nonsense." The whole time there was no eye contact, instead those eyes were roaming around the room. Not in fear or with nerves, just in an intent interest, recording the scene. What colour were her eyes? Galinda could not quite tell, they seemed quite black. Why it should matter she did not know.

"Her Em- Elphaba's business keeps us away from the Emerald City a good deal, I am afraid." Master Boq was putting in a much better show. "And when we are here we are so often regrettably detained."

"It is regrettable neither to me nor to those who make these invitations," Elphaba spat out. "It is well known I am not good company, not to mention complexion-challenged, both of which override my title wonderfully. I prefer a good argument to idle chatter in any case."

"Well come then let us have a disagreement, it should not be hard." Galinda was feeling really rather bold, for having had but one glass of champagne.

The restless eyes settled on her for a moment. "I do things to please myself, not others," Elphaba said haughtily.

"Isn't that what they call selfishness?"

"I..." Clearly her Eminence was unaccustomed to being manoeuvred in to a corner. Her eyes narrowed and she near enough snarled for a fraction of a clock tick.

Again Galinda had been misjudged and underestimated. It was a common occurrence, an occupational hazard for beautiful, bubbly blondes. She knew that. She wasn't going to complain, it had its uses.

Galinda saw Master Boq's eyes light up with mirth to the point where he had to put a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing. She felt suddenly rather proud of herself.

They were interrupted by some commotion over by the card tables. Some poor young thing was having a swooning fit. Galinda looked away discreetly.

"This is what happens when you put corsets on girls," Elphaba observed dispassionately.

"Is that more proof of your non-conformity?" Galinda challenged, really not at all sure what had got in to her.

She received a harsh look but no words.

"I shall leave you then to enjoy or not enjoy the party as you wish." She turned to Boq with a smile. "It has been lovely to make your acquaintance, Master Boq. I hope very much to meet you again soon."

He blushed and took her hand again with a bow. "Indeed I hope so, Lady Chuffrey."

"Your Eminence," was all she offered the aloof Eminent Thropp, with a barely-scraped curtsey. She got only a small nod in return.

As she walked away she deliberately diverted to stay nearby: in earshot but of out sight. She heard the Eminent Thropp – Elphaba – whomever – mumble, "I don't like her."

Master Boq sighed. "You don't like anyone."

Galinda felt rather pleased with herself. She had finally met the Eminent Thropp and established a relationship of what appeared to be mutual loathing. Although she had already understood not to take anything the strange green girl said at face value.

* * *

Relief swept over Boq as the carriage pulled up the drive of Colwen Ground. He was always glad to be back. To see the place still standing, if nothing else. He wondered sometimes if he had the nerves for this kind of work.

It was home though, as well. Four years he had lived here with Elphaba and a gathering crowd of others.

It had been a year after the previous Eminent Thropp's death, when Elphie graduated, that she moved back to Nest Hardings with Boq at her side. The transition had been a hard one for her, as it had been a hard one for the region. The great house shut up until she took up residence, her being the sort of Eminence she was... there had been some 'debate', is how he generally explained the situation to people.

The Mayor of Center Munch at the time had taken particular exception to Elphie's new way of organising the household. "There were people relied on this house for their living," he told her in their first meeting, where Boq hovered, uncertain as to his role in all this. He quickly realised his role was largely to stop Elphie grievously offending anyone important. Or at least _trying_ to stop that happening.

"And those people are more than welcome to return to the household in a different role." Elphie had said with remarkable restraint. "I refuse to apologise for ending the indentured servitude everyone hated at the time and yet love so much now."

So that was how things had been. An egalitarian collective affair that drew a good deal of suspicion. But it worked for those who accepted it and joined their little retinue. It eased Elphie's conscience as to the inherited wealth and income, to spread it around a little. Or a lot. The exact particulars were a closely guarded secret. Boq, of course, knew.

Boq looked across to Elphie who was also gazing up at the house, though he could not even hazard a guess as to what her thoughts might be. They disembarked from the carriage and walked around the back to the kitchen door, the old servants entrance. There were no servants any more.

They dropped their bags in the hallway and headed in to the library where they were greeted by Mallo. A fellow Munchkin he had been one of the first to join the new Eminent Thropp at Colwen Grounds and was now as much Boq's right hand man as Boq himself was Elphie's.

"Welcome back," Mallo grinned broadly at them. "Did you bring me a present? One of those Palace snow globes?"

Boq hugged him, smacking him briskly on the back. "How are things?"

"Oh fine, fine. How was your excursion? Did you meet with him?"

By way of greeting Elphie clapped her hand on Mallo's shoulder and gave him a little shake. "Yes, though the little information he had to offer was certainly not worth enduring that party for."

Boq sighed. They had discussed this, both before and since. "You have to get out more, you are arousing suspicion."

"And me suddenly attending parties is not suspicious?"

"Elphaba made a new friend," Boq told Mallo, ignoring her. "Of a sort."

Mallo was rightly intrigued. "Ah, so?"

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Galinda of the Arduennas of the Uplands," she said with a fluttering wave of her hands in imitation of an excitable girl, "is not going to be talking to us at any more parties."

"Speak for yourself," Boq teased. "I fancy she was quite taken with me."

"And I fancy Milla could probably best her were it to come to a fight. Which no doubt you would enjoy immensely," she said with distaste.

Boq ignored that comment.

Mallo waded in. "I believe you, Elphaba." What a suck up, Boq cursed him. "Besides, you don't have friends." That was more like it, he chuckled to himself.

Elphie didn't miss a beat. "Do I not? Well who are you lot cluttering up my house then? Out!"

The both of them ignored her.

"Anyway," Mallo turned to Boq, back to business. "You have the reports from the City?"

"We collected the ones we could. Here." Elphie handed over a bunch of friendly letters from acquaintances and colleagues. Except of course Elphaba didn't get friendly letters. Just ones that contained coded messages.

Boq watched Mallo take them and then hand some over in return. Including one towards himself.

"And there is a letter from Miss Milla," Mallo waved it around. "But I think it is of a more _personal_ nature..."

Boq snatched it quickly. "Stop it," he said as severely as possible. "I am trying to keep this discreet."

"Your relationship is not going to stay secret very long if you stand around grinning like a fool every time her name is mentioned," Elphie observed. "You're doing it now! Lurline preserve us!"

Mallo laughed. Boq glared. Mallo started filing away the letters for later. Boq celebrated a small victory.

Not total victory unfortunately, as Elphie continued musing. "I hope none of this sordid affair is taking place under my roof?"

He rose above her provocation. "You're not my mother." He knew her well enough to know what was coming. He was just giving her an outlet to blow off some steam. She hated travelling and he knew she was more pleased to be home than she would ever say.

"I certainly hope not. There would be some rather serious questions to be asked if that were the case." After the oh so witty retort she grinned at him. They both knew his game though. She knew what he was doing. He liked to think it was appreciated.

There was more though, more that needed to be said. "Everyone needs love, Elphie." Softly, gently, lest he awaken something.

"I am not everyone. I am not even anyone."

With that, she left. Maybe he had awoken something.

Mallo was looking at him. "Nice try."

He shrugged and poked at the letters on the desk. "These are going to take all night."

"Not you. You are down on the rota for making dinner."

"I've only just got back!"

"Now then Boq, you're not trying to wriggle out are you? There is no arguing with The Great Rota."

"Who made this rota? I don't accept it," he grumped, heading out of the room toward the kitchen with Mallo following.

"I believe you drew up this months one. Don't make me tell her Eminence you are shirking your duties."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh I most certainly would. What would even happen though? Is there a punishment?"

They entered the kitchen, which doubled as a dining room. Most of the house was shut up, the living areas anyway. The library, the kitchen and a small parlour were all of the ground floor that were not under dust sheets. The ball room, the gallery, the grand dining room, the billiard room, the two drawing rooms... they hardly saw the light of day.

"I don't think it has ever needed to get that far," Boq finished up. He stood in front of the Great Rota, hanging over the fireplace. "Oh, damn," he said, confirming his turn. "At least I am not on scullery duty as well. And I didn't pick up any cheese on the road. How annoying."

He pushed up his glasses, turned to the pile of vegetables and rolled up his sleeves. A life in politics was so grand, so exciting.

* * *

Galinda was taking tea in a hotel restaurant, all high ceilings and lace table cloths, with her friends Pfannee and Shenshen. The pair intimidated her more than a little. They were quite the silliest young women imaginable but Pfannee in particular had a thread of iron running through her.

"You were at Shiz," Galinda enquired in an attempt at an idle manner. "Did you know the Eminent Thropp?"

"Gracious, yes. We used to call her Green Bean." Pfannee still seemed terribly amused by this. "What a creature. Why in Oz do you ask?"

"I met her," Galinda stirred her sugar in carefully. "The other day at a party at Trel's."

"Oh, did you go to that in the end? I could hardly be convinced. I went to the opera instead."

There was some sort of put-down in there but Galinda was not concerned. "What was she like, then? Before she became the Eminence?"

"What is she like now? I have scarce seen her half a dozen times since we graduated, thankfully. She never attends court, ever. Again, thankfully. Or any decent gatherings. Not that it is a surprise. I understand she must be asked but at least she knows better than to actually accept."

"I could not quite make her out. That is why I wanted to know."

"Well, she was a horribly solitary creature. She was in the common dormitories despite her position, the shame! She did awfully well in her studies. Unnatural amounts of time spent with books will do that to you. Even once she became Eminence she refused to leave, staying out the year. She was terribly close to that old Goat, you know, the one with all the Animal rights nonsense who killed himself in his lab. He was such a bore. He probably fell asleep over his microscope exhausted from his own lectures and slit his own throat."

Shenshen leaned in, voice low. "There were suggestions – including from Elphaba herself – that he may have been murdered, that things may have been political. Do you remember? It was in all the papers for some time. We would have been nineteen or so."

At the age of nineteen newspapers had existed in Galinda's life only to start the fires in her rooms and to hide her father's face at the breakfast table. Far away behind the impenetrable barrier of print he had huffed and sighed and never looked at her. Perhaps that was why she enjoyed seeing them burn so much.

Shenshen continued. "And you must have heard the strange rumours about those Animals at her home a few years ago? That the Gale Force had to clear out?"

Though only vaguely aware Galinda nodded. She did not want to appear uninformed, even in front of and in comparison to these two.

Pfannee diverted back to the less political and more gossipy. "Then there was always the hideous fuss in bad weather. Not enough that she was green but she swaddled herself up as if she had just come off the Thousand Year Grasslands riding a camel. Some nonsense about not being able to touch water."

Galinda had heard whispers about the water thing. "Is that true? I thought it must be a bizarre rumour. Some Munchkin prophecy or folk tale."

"If it is not true it is a long standing lie that she took pains to reinforce. To whose benefit I'm sure I do not know. Though she did like to always cause a scene, speak out of turn and so on."

Galinda digested all of this carefully. Shenshen looked bored. But Pfannee continued.

"The funny thing was, for all the green and the prickliness – a cactus! Oh! Why didn't I think of that back then? – she did have a way with herself. The boys loved her. Avaric the devil, that Winkie prince Fiyero, the Munchkin boy, the pair of dandies from Three Queens... they couldn't get enough of her."

"Did she... well was it... did she disport herself with them? In that way?" Intrigue claimed Galinda's articulacy.

"Heavens, no. One would have been able to tell by their faces had they ever claimed _that_ prize. No, she didn't even have that hold on them, which made it all the stranger."

"She is strange," Galinda concurred.

Pfannee was watching her carefully though. "Yes. It is all very strange."

Trying to shake it off Galinda returned to the Florinthwaite Club and her rooms there. She thought she might take a little nap before whatever the evening held. She could not remember what particular engagement there was, she would need to check her diary. But it was not going to be very different from yesterday, or tomorrow.

Chuffrey was in the lounge of their suite and glanced up – over his newspaper – as she entered. What joy, a husband so like her father.

"Good day, darling?" he asked, his eyes already back on his paper.

"Yes, thank you," she said absent mindedly, dropping her handbag on a chair but not sitting down. "I had tea with Pfannee and Shenshen."

"That pair," he chuckled. "One more and they would be a coven."

"Well, there were three of us."

"You are not like them." She loved him for moments like that.

Such flattery was not going to ease her mind however. "No, I'm not. Even they went to university, achieved something of their own."

Chuffrey lowered his paper now. "Whilst they were doing that you were getting married and enjoying life in the Emerald City and beyond." That was his reassurance. It was the best he could do, she supposed. "You got a good few years head start on them."

Stood listlessly by the window, fingering the drapes, Galinda nodded. When marriage, a rich life of wealth and conspicuous consumption, the Emerald City and deputations across Oz were seen as the ultimate goal then yes, she was doing rather well. What more could she ask for?

She looked in her diary. "Play tonight," she reminded him. "We are in Lady Pernil's box."

He nodded, head back in the paper.

"I'll ring for someone to come and press your suit. Is there anything else you need?"

"No..." he trailed off, engrossed again.

Her allotted time had expired. She went through to the dressing room, met her maid and rang the bell to summon a member of housekeeping. She would arrange their clothes and then retire to her bedroom, maybe have that nap. She could always sleep through the boredom.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been three months since they were last in the Emerald City and Boq could not say he had particularly missed it.

The Thropp family house in Lower Mennipin Street was in a much better state than Colwen Grounds. Nessarose ruled the roost here so there was a full compliment of staff and all was well maintained. Boq knew the division of the Thropp estates caused tension, mostly on Nessarose's part. Elphie had happily ceded control of Lower Mennipin Street as long as she could come and go as she pleased. He had a good deal of sympathy for Nessa's position, knowing what she could do with that lovely old pile of bricks back at Colwen Grounds. Nessa was free to come and go there as well but rarely did, it seemed to upset her. Instead she split her time between the Emerald City and Rush Margins.

The butler entered the drawing room and Elphaba shied away from him. For all her bossiness Boq knew her deep discomfort with hierarchies. She began discreetly edging off across to the other side of the room automatically assuming he carried some manner of vexation to her. The staff kept their distance from the Eminence, which suited both sides well. Boq could only imagine what was said about Elphaba and her team in their absence, ably stirred up by Nessa no doubt.

The butler spoke. "Lady Chuffrey sends her card." There it sat, perched on a silver platter in his hand.

Elphaba looked blank.

"She knows you are here," Boq translated. "She will be outside in her carriage waiting for your word."

Elphaba looked even more blank.

"Clearly you did not do a good enough job of putting her off," Boq added.

"Clearly _you_ think this visit is more for your benefit."

"Actually," he broached the subject carefully, "I had other plans for this afternoon."

She knew immediately what he was about. "No! I forbid it! You can't in good conscience leave me here with that woman while you scamper off to see Miss Milla."

Part of that was a joke, but part of it wasn't. "You're becoming quite civilised Elphie, I'm almost proud of you. Don't tell me you cannot handle 'Miss Galinda of the Arduennas of the Uplands'." He did a passable impression of Elphie's previous mockery of Lady Chuffrey.

In return he received a terrifying scowl. "Fine," he said. "I shall chaperone you. But you shall see her."

"Is the Eminent Thropp at home?" The butler had no time for this.

"Yes," Boq said firmly. "Tell Lady Chuffrey the Eminent Thropp is at home."

Elphie looked ready to jump out a window and Boq readied himself to grab her ankles. Or maybe follow. It depended. What in Oz did Lady Chuffrey want?

Too soon the door opened and both Boq and Elphaba turned towards it with trepidation.

"Lady Chuffrey," the butler announced.

Lady Chuffrey entered.

"Thank you," Elphie actually directly addressed him. "We'll, um, have some tea, please. If you don't mind." He looked at her as though she were mad and left with a little bow.

"Lady Chuffrey!" Boq took the initiative and advancing on her. "How wonderful to see you again."

"Master Boq, it is a delight." She took his hand and curtsied.

Elphaba, having swung from one extreme of terror to the other of antagonism, gave Lady Chuffrey a quick nod and sat herself down in a chair. Boq motioned for Lady Chuffrey to do the same and she perched herself delicately on the ornate sofa.

Now what? Boq and Elphaba shot each other a look. Boq wished Nessarose were here and wondered why it was not thought necessary for boys to attend finishing schools, being as they were just as susceptible to embarrassment as anyone else.

They needn't have worried, he soon realised. Lady Chuffrey was, after all, a professional.

"What brings you to the Emerald City?" she enquired gently.

Thankfully Elphie now got involved. "Just a way station. We're going to see our friend Avaric. Although, I hesitate to use the word friend, but –"

Lady Chuffrey hesitated at interrupting but couldn't help herself. "The Margreave of Tenmeadows?"

"Yes. University isn't just for finding a husband, or even getting an education. Sometimes we make friends." Boq raised an eyebrow against her. She looked at him and shrugged a little. She didn't see the harm in riling these people.

"Well, Miss Elphaba. It seems we can enjoy each others company again there. I shall also be attending." The upper hand was gained by Lady Chuffrey.

That was just peachy. Elphie seemed to be thinking something similar. Maybe a touch ruder.

Boq jumped in. "That will be lovely, won't it, Elphie?" He didn't stop for a reply. "And how do you know the Margreave? He and I roomed together at university, for my sins."

"Oh, I have met him here and there. I am friends with Lady Balle and Mrs Suur who I believe you know as well. Pfannee and Shenshen?"

Boq saw Elphie rolling her eyes. He hoped Lady Chuffrey did not.

"I suppose they will be going as well?" Disinterest dripped from Elphie's words. "This is turning in to quite the alumni reunion."

"Indeed they are, with their husbands. They can't quite forgive Avaric for it not being them he is marrying." Lady Chuffrey smiled at that and Boq found himself smiling too. That was a little cheeky, a bit risqué. He was rather enjoying this.

Elphie snorted however. "Dodged a bullet and I say that with the utmost contempt for them. No-one deserves Avaric." Boq knew she had a soft spot for him. Otherwise he would simply be ignored.

"I shall feel quite left out amongst all you graduates." Lady Chuffrey sounded almost wistful, Boq thought.

"Did you attend university, Lady Chuffrey?" It seemed likely enough, nowadays most young people of class and wealth did attend, even girls. Even those without particular class and wealth, his own attendance reminded him.

"No, I never did."

Boq was caught between surprise and not. Elphaba did not look impressed.

Without any prompting Lady Chuffrey continued on her own. "I was here and married by twenty. I should have liked to though, I had thought of studying at Shiz. But Mother and Father would no sooner allow it than have me train as a milkmaid."

A new world of possibilities opened itself up in Boq's mind. He could envisage Lady Chuffrey, a few years younger, less refined, sat with them all in the pub. How strange, these little quirks of fate that caused things to be the way they were. He became aware of a warmth towards her, for the things that could have been.

"I sometimes fancy a milkmaid would have been more fun." Both Boq and Lady Chuffrey were startled by Elphie's words, not just her involvement in the conversation but something in the way she said them, almost sympathetic and gentle. "You didn't miss out on much."

Boq chatted a while longer, Elphie adding the occasional aside, Lady Chuffrey continuing to show this humorous, irreverent streak that was delightful on her. The tea arrived, which Lady Chuffrey drank daintily, along with cupcakes that Elphie poked at with distaste and would not eat, being that they were pink. Boq sometimes thought Nessarose contrived such things deliberately when she knew Elphie would be staying.

It was a full hour before Lady Chuffrey took her leave, clearly overstaying the normal quarter of an hour in the knowledge there was no queue of other callers waiting at the door. Boq was rather sad to see her go, he had thoroughly enjoyed himself. She left with pretty words about looking forward to seeing them at Tenmeadows.

As the door closed Elphie collapsed dramatically on a chaise longue as though just returned from running a marathon.

"There now," Boq consoled. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

Elphie could not find the words, luckily for him. He made his escape from the parlour and headed off to get ready to pay a sneaky visit to Milla.

* * *

Galinda arrived at Tenmeadows a week later, two nights before the festivities officially commenced. The schedule was carefully prescribed. More central characters had been there for a week already, family and such, then a hierarchy of visitors stretching out to those who would only attend for the day itself. Galinda's middling position did not rankle with her at all. It did mean that some of her friends and other acquaintances were already in attendance. Pfannee and Shenshen had arrived yesterday for an evening banquet. The Eminent Thropp and nice little Boq had also, along with other of the Margreave's university friends.

Having freshened up in her guest room and left her maid to arrange her clothes Galinda headed down to the ground floor. Tenmeadows was a huge house and it needed to be. Even it could not hold all the guests, many would have to be housed in the village. Downstairs there was a never ending buffet and people milling about. Evidently a party of the gentlemen had gone out shooting or some such as it was mostly ladies.

Making herself a little plate Galinda surveyed the room, trying to pick the most interesting or advantageous person to start her round with. A prospect walked straight in to her path whose advantage had yet to be proven but was certainly very interesting.

"Lady Chuffrey! It is so good to see you again."

"Master Boq, indeed." She curtsied and he bowed but the plate made things a little impractical. What was a little adaptation in the rules between friends, anyway. "You are not out enjoying the sport?"

He shuddered and his voice was firm, a strength of emotion she had not seen in him before. "No, indeed. The bloody deaths of animals are not sport to me." Then he seemed to remember himself – and her – and looked alarmed. "I mean, I do not think I could – I don't mean to – is your husband... out enjoying the sport?"

Oh, that. "No, unfortunately Chuffrey cannot be here, he had business in the City. I don't suppose her Eminence is enjoying the sport either?" Or maybe she was, out with the men in tweeds.

"Also not," he confirmed with a smile. "We are on the verandah, would you like to join us?"

"I would love to." She smiled back at him as he led the way outside.

"Elphie!" he called. "Look who I have found."

His manner did not upset Galinda, she found it amusing, his relationship with his employer.

There was Elphaba. She looked to be wearing the same dress Galinda had ever seen her in but much more relaxed than the previous times, outside in the fresh air on the otherwise unoccupied terrace. Until her eyes met Galinda's however. She sat up straighter and frowned a little before rising.

"Lady Chuffrey," she said, taking Galinda's free hand.

"Your Eminence. Elphaba." Galinda smiled a little in acknowledgement of this strange middle ground they were holding.

The other member of their party was a younger girl who bore a resemblance to Elphaba, albeit less green. Not at all green, in fact. Instead there was the distinct absence of arms. The sister.

Elphaba helped the girl to stand opposite Galinda. "Lady Chuffrey, may I present my sister, Miss Nessarose Thropp of Rush Margins, Munchkinland. Nessa this is Lady Chuffrey, Galinda of the Arduenna Clan of the Uplands from the Pertha Hills, Gillikin." She was showing off, showing Galinda she could do this as well as anyone.

They curtsied, Elphaba's hand on the girl's back, presumably in support of her balance but looking more like she would grab her by the scruff of the neck. To Galinda's mind everything Elphaba did had an undercurrent of mild danger, vague threat. It put her on edge.

"I am very glad to meet you, Lady Chuffrey."

"And you, Miss Thropp."

"I am simply Nessarose, please." Again this distaste for pomp and ceremony, albeit more politely put by the younger girl.

"Then I am simply Galinda."

Elphaba's eyebrows rose, impressed. That was not why Galinda had done it.

They settled themselves back down at the wrought iron table, Boq going back inside for the buffet he had forgotten to get for Nessa in the excitement of having seen herself.

When he returned Galinda watched Elphaba help Nessa eat, which more or less consisted of actually feeding her, in a particular practiced and dignified way. The three of them talked about their time at university, Nessa having overlapped with Elphaba for one year whilst Boq was doing postgraduate work. They and other classmates were planning a little sightseeing reunion trip tomorrow afternoon. Galinda had often regretted missing out on this aspect of her life but there was another element now, the loss of these sorts of relationships forged.

"What will you be doing tomorrow afternoon, Lady Chuffrey? It's like free association time, we get a few hours of liberty in all this fuss." Elphaba's tone was unguarded, almost teasing. Fresh air obviously agreed with her. "Will you be queueing for the visiting beauticians here? Choosing your gown?"

"I'd rather come with you. I know Shiz well enough but I've never been to the university. You don't mind?"

If Elphaba did mind or was surprised she did not show it.

So the next day after lunch Galinda bid goodbye to the highly confused Pfannee and Shenshen, who were not stooping to a tour of their alma mater and joined the two coaches heading the short distance to the town of Shiz itself.

Galinda sat in one coach with Elphaba and Nessarose. In the other was a young man named Crope who described himself as being 'in the arts', a Vinkun prince, Fiyero, who Galinda had met on a few occasions, and Boq. Avaric had not been able to come. At one point he had looked likely to sneak away to join them but his soon-to-be father-in-law was keeping a sharp eye on him. Which seemed a sensible idea, until vows were exchanged at least.

The party separated as they arrived, the gentlemen heading off towards their old colleges and Elphaba and Nessa towards theirs, with Galinda in tow.

They stood in front of the bluestone building of Crage Hall with varying looks on their faces. Galinda was impressed and a little awed. She looked across at Nessa who seemed fond and Elphaba who seemed at once contemptuous and cowed.

"You are quite sure she won't know we were here, Nessie?" Elphaba was asking.

"No, I told you Elphie, do stop fussing. There is a new head, that old witch is safely in the Emerald City."

"That's not entirely what I meant."

"Who?" Galinda enquired.

Elphaba turned to her, distracted. "Morrible. The head of my old university college. Though I suspect she may be a lot more than that."

Madame Morrible. Galinda knew that name, it caused a tremor of panic through her that thankfully went unnoticed.

Nessa offered a plan. "Elphie, if we do go to the library for a look do you promise not to disappear in to the stacks? I spent a year searching you out of there and I don't want to spend my whole afternoon doing it."

Elphaba made a disapproving noise at her which Nessa obviously took as agreement.

In the library the look in Elphaba's eyes changed to that fondness and delight Galinda had more been expecting. She was murmuring to herself, wandering off a little.

Nessa was keeping an eye on her. "Hours in here..."

"I thought students were supposed to spend all their time partying?" Galinda started up a quiet conversation.

"Mostly that is true," Nessa agreed. "Elphaba, as I am sure you can imagine, was not that type. Elphaba!" she called to her sister in a stage whisper. "Stay in sight please, I'm not losing you in here, much as you would like it."

Managing to extricate Elphaba they strolled the grounds and met the others by the canal where they reminisced about picnics and hijinks before heading off to one of their favourite pubs near the market. Galinda had never frequented this part of town. They were some way from the Exchange and the ballrooms.

Crope flirted shamelessly and harmlessly with Nessa whilst Boq watched on with Fiyero writing postcards to his family at home. Elphaba fetched Galinda a glass of wine from the bar and slumped next to her on the bench. The lot of them had regressed to students again, completely forgetting their positions, their responsibilities, becoming almost these whole other people, young and free. Galinda wished she had a previous self to fall back on but she was much as she had ever been.

"Goodness I hated it here."

Galinda was more than surprised by Elphaba instigating a conversation. And by the topic. "You did?"

Elphaba wasn't looking at her, which Galinda supposed made it easier. "Mm. I mean, I am grateful. I learnt a lot and I did become encumbered with these idiots..." That was supposed to be a compliment, or affection. "So much of it was just staggeringly awful."

That had never been a consideration of Galinda's. But then her university career would have been very different from Elphaba's. She thought of Pfannee's comments. "People were unkind?"

"That? I was more than accustomed to that by the time I got here. No, none of that. I couldn't care less."

Not sure whether to believe her or not Galinda left that thread there. "What then?"

"Bad luck, I suppose. A corrupt head, my mentor was killed, my great grandfather died. None of which was luck. More bad luck that I had to care about it, that I was designed in such a way that I couldn't keep my nose out."

Galinda perceived of an aching loneliness that shockingly made her want to put her arms around the strange girl. Which was not something she ever had done, or had ever wanted to do to anyone.

At the banquet that night Galinda found herself placed in a displeasing seat both too close to Elphaba to be unaware of her and not close enough to be able to talk to her. Her attention was continuously dragged in Elphaba's direction, making her unable to hold the threads of nearby chatter, for the wondering of what was being said further down the table.

She watched this new, relaxed – almost good humoured – Eminent Thropp with her old friends and sister, trying to find a way in to the discussion whenever she could, which turned out to be infrequently. It was an overall frustrating experience given the momentum that had developed in their conversation, and, she supposed, their acquaintance, during the afternoon.

Afterwards, when the ladies departed for cards and music in the drawing room, Galinda diverted herself on to the terrace for some fresh air. She realised it was silly to be surprised to find Elphaba there.

Elphaba looked at her. "As you can imagine, I am not one for post-dinner socialising."

"You don't mind me being here?"

Shaking her head Elphaba turned back to gazing at the dark blue sky.

Galinda leant back against the balustrade. Light poured out from the house and there was tinny laughter but it seemed another world. Intrigued, she launched an assault on the very heart of the riddle of Elphaba. "Everyone expects non-conformity from you and you're more than happy to give it to them. But isn't that just conforming?"

"If you're damned if you do and equally damned if you don't I suppose the Rule of Most Amusement applies."

That made Galinda smile. "I may not have been to a prestigious university but I'm quite certain you just invented that."

"Does that make it any less valid as a way of conducting myself?" Elphaba's tone was accusatory but Galinda wasn't being accused, she was being teased. Elphaba smirked, making Galinda smile again.

"In any case," Elphaba continued. "I think you do just as much work to appear something you are not. You make it look perfectly natural."

"You think this is all a pretence?"

"Clearly a good deal of your life is artifice. High society is theatre, everyone knows that. But I think more of yourself is than you admit."

Galinda was not quite sure what to make of this, other than that it went more to the core of her than anyone ever had. She kept it light, however. "Now _that_ is simply me doing my job. Everyone has a role to play in society."

"But it is more than a role to you, it's an act of full time occupation."

"Call it the Tactic of Most Efficiency," she riffed on Elphaba's earlier words which produced a pleasing twitching smile from the girl.

Then the devastating question. "What happens when the curtain falls?"

"It doesn't," Galinda said quietly. "I don't know how to close it any more."

* * *

Elphaba's stomach rumbled all the way through the ceremony and to add insult to injury she then had to queue to greet the bride and groom whom she had greeted enough, she felt, in the days prior, and their parents, whom she did not want to greet at all. Finally they were sat down for the wedding breakfast. Just because these people were plighting their troth at great and very formal length did not allow them to starve their guests half to death.

Once the speeches were over the guests were allowed free reign of the garden and marquees, which, even Elphaba had to admit, looked rather nice. Also rather nice was the buffet laid on, though most people were congregated more around the ale tent.

So Elphaba sat by the buffet in an empty marquee with a heaped plate of tiny cucumber sandwiches, looking out over the grounds when a swishing sound announced the arrival of Lady Chuffrey. Elphaba's eyes first caught a glimpse of skirt. "Everywhere you go your skirt gets there just before you," she mused.

Lady Chuffrey swatted at her with a fan. "They seem happy." She was looking at the new couple on the far side of the garden, laughing with a crowd.

"He's only thinking that now he gets to drink her dowry."

"Ah but of course you affect this lack of sentimentality and romanticism."

"It is not an affectation. It is the absolute truth. I am here only for the food." Despite that priority she thought it only polite to offer up her plate, from which Lady Chuffrey selected a minuscule sandwich.

"There'll be cake later," she observed, ignoring Elphaba's attempt at scandal.

"I should hope so too. And another dinner."

"I shall have to do some serious dancing to mitigate all this eating."

That made Elphaba smile. "Dragging all those hoops and bustles around is not exercise enough?"

"This is a very demure outfit!" Lady Chuffrey defended herself. "Just because you possess apparently only one dress..."

"Many similar dresses," Elphaba corrected.

Lady Chuffrey looked her up and down. "I had wondered."

"Had you indeed?" That idea amused Elphaba greatly and she succeeded in making Lady Chuffrey flush.

All she said was, "Are you leaving tomorrow?"

Elphaba nodded, inserting an entire sandwich in to her mouth.

"I just wondered, depending on what your plans were... seeing as we are so close and have the advantage of the railway rather than that dreadful road... how would you like to come to the Pertha Hills? I am staying in Frottica with my parents for a few days. You would be quite welcome."

Taken aback, Elphaba was not entirely sure what to say. She would sooner undergo the most horrific water torture known to Oz than do anything of the sort. The Pertha Hills were near enough her idea of hell: the country houses of the obscenely rich bankers and aristocrats and nary a single person who was not pure blood Gillikinese.

She struggled to recall what one should say in such situations. Why did she not blurt out exactly what had run through her head? Because there was one curious, charming Gillikinese girl whose Frottican heart she did not want to sadden.

"No, I... there are things I have to get back for," is what she contrived.

In response Lady Chuffrey nodded. "I had thought so. No matter." She started to walk away.

"Lady Chuffrey..." Elphaba didn't know why she wanted her to turn round, nor did she know what would be said if she did. In any case she didn't so Elphaba had to watch her walk away with a gnawing in her stomach she thought people might call guilt.

Nessa arrived soon after with Nanny to harass Elphaba up to their suite to get ready for the evening dancing. She abandoned her half-plate of sandwiches, having suddenly lost her appetite.

After a traumatic wardrobe session with Nessa and the conclusion of yet another dinner Elphaba took herself off on a tour of the ball and general festivities. The ballroom itself was huge, twice the size of the one at Colwen Grounds, which was the largest in all Nest Hardings. Packed full of people: dancers in the centre and the army of wallflowers, non-dancers, chatters and elderly ladies on sofas all around the extremity. Which made Elphaba's progress clumsy.

She nodded to a few people but did not stop to talk. She drew more than a few strange glances that she did not stop to engage until she was shot a particularly vile look by Pfannee as she waltzed past on the arm of a man who may or may not have been her husband. In reply Elphaba cupped her hand to her ear with a questioning look, motioning Pfannee to come a little closer. Wisely Pfannee waltzed on. Elphaba chuckled to herself and continued on her way.

The dance changed to a loathsome quadrille, everyone bowing and scraping and just walking around in time to music, which hardly seemed a dance at all. She stopped for a moment to watch in derision, all these people paired off but barely allowed to speak or touch, attempting some sort of intimacy under the watchful eye of two hundred other people.

On a particular beat the dancers parted in front of her and Elphaba found herself staring directly over at Lady Chuffrey on the far side of the room. Who appeared to be staring directly back.

Elphaba may have mocked the clothing but she thought it looked rather well on the girl, more so on her than anyone else. Certainly she never admired the sartorial or physical features of other people in this way. Lady Chuffrey looked illuminated, delicately radiating something that Elphaba could not put her finger on.

It all caused a curious tunnelling effect in Elphaba's vision whereby everyone else faded to a blur and a strange refraction of light made Lady Chuffrey seem closer, so that it would only take a few steps for Elphaba to be stood in front of her. Though what she would do then she did not know.

Elphaba felt a strange urgency to do that very thing. Lady Chuffrey returned the look with a curious expression as if she were not averse to the idea. The cumulative effect made Elphaba frown even though it were not unpleasant. She tore her eyes away to look to her right, to gauge how far she would have to skirt the room to indeed be at Lady Chuffrey's side. By the time she had completed the route in her mind and her eyes returned, Lady Chuffrey had gone.

Strangely and disproportionately peeved by this Elphaba started to move around the room but was interrupted in her quest.

"Elphie!" Boq appeared, tugging at her sleeve.

"What?" she snapped, stopping but with her eyes still roaming the room.

"We need to _slip out_," he hinted. "Fiyero leaves early tomorrow and we haven't any more time."

She nodded at him but her thoughts were on someone else. "There is something else to that girl."

"Hm? Elphie, what?"

"Lady Chuffrey."

"What about her?" Boq sounded about as distracted as Elphaba felt. The conversation struggled to hold together.

"I don't know. She's not at all as I had thought."

"Do you think she could be... useful?"

"No," she said sharply. "No. She's not as naïve as she appears but I won't bring her in to this."

This. This was why she needed to see Fiyero and Avaric, half the reason she was even convinced to come to the damn wedding. This was her life's purpose, if she were wedded to anything it were to this. So why was she still here, searching the place for a girl in too much dress? She cursed herself and left the room.

Boq led her down the corridor in to a small anteroom off to the side. Already in attendance was Fiyero, sat in an armchair fiddling with his cufflinks, and Avaric, who looked slightly the worse for wear.

"Gentlemen," Elphaba addressed them. It may be Avaric's wedding day and Fiyero may be a prince, but Elphaba Thropp was queen here.


	3. Chapter 3

Boq was sat in the library at Colwen Grounds looking at accounts, with Elphaba and Mallo at the other end of the table poring over a map and Uly in an armchair scribbling away at whatever speech or pamphlet being worked on at the moment.

He finished and closed the ledger with a thud. Elphie looked up at him and he broached an increasingly urgent subject.

"The Gillikinese trade delegation from the Emerald City arrives tomorrow," he reminded her. It had been a month since Avaric's wedding, the last time they had done anything even vaguely social. Since then it had been all audiences with locals complaining about chicken theft, the drought and exorbitant rents. Then yet more audiences with those landlords, with lawyers, with the bank as Elphaba provided deposits for irrigation schemes... all very worthy and important but he did feel there was room for a little glamour now and again.

"And?" she said, looking back down at the map. Mallo glanced fearfully over at Boq, starting to shift ever so slowly away from her.

"What do you want us to do?"

"Must I think of everything!"

"Well you usually prefer it that way. Usually you tell everyone to shut up and let you think. What in Oz has gotten in to you?"

"Can I not be in a bad mood?"

"You are always in a bad mood – that's nothing out of the ordinary."

She said nothing and he decided to take it as a sort of contrition, though he felt sure it was not.

"There's the official meeting tomorrow, which you have to attend. Really you should have something here. A party. Or some sort of function."

Elphie stared at him as if he were proposing burning the place down with her in it. "I'm not going to the meeting. I have nothing to say to any of those pompous, arrogant –"

"All right! I get the picture. Still, we have to go. You might find someone worth talking to."

"I doubt that very much. Fiyero said he met them before they left, that they had no intention of making any concessions. And I will have none of them in my house."

"Come now, Elphie. It is not often that people come all the way out here. At least you don't have to travel anywhere. I thought you had turned over a new leaf on socialising?"

Mallo had by this time retreated entirely to the other side of the room. It was perfectly safe though. Elphie would never throw a book and all the paperweights, busts and other heavy objects had been removed after the incident with the smashed window and the flying telescope.

She appeared defeated. "As long as I don't have to dance. Who exactly would this be involving anyway?"

"A few local people, the trade delegation. Nessa could come up and we could try to track down Shell. It's been years since there's been anything here."

"It's a bit short notice, is it not?"

"Stop trying to get out of it. Everyone is here anyway and with nothing else to do."

"We don't know any of them."

"Of a sort. There's Lady Chuffrey's husband."

She responded with a quip. "Chuffrey, I presume?"

"Clever. Now is it Lord or Sir..? I'll have to check the book..."

"It's all just frills anyway!" she whined as she followed him to the bookcase.

"He's a baronet," Boq noted, having located Chuffrey in the Ozian Who's Who that sat as part of their much-needed collection of books on etiquette and society. They were going to be getting a lot of use if a function was to be held. By himself at least, certainly not by Elphie. She didn't care and would sneer at him for how much he did. He never could remember how to correctly eat asparagus and it concerned him, he was not going to lie.

"A baronet? How unimpressive," Elphie sniffed. "What is the world coming to when someone like Galinda of the Arduennas of the Uplands can only snag a baronet?"

Boq scrutinised her. "I cannot tell whether you are being rude about her or him."

"About everyone!" she cried tetchily, leaving the room.

Elphie was not in a much better mood, Boq noticed, by the next day when they headed off to Center Munch for the official reception, bearing invitations for the hastily arranged dance – Elphie preferring a stand-up mingling to a sit-down dinner.

Leaving the carriage there were a few errands to run before they advanced up the main street to the Town Hall. As they passed in front of the Grand, a not-at-all-grand old hotel, they were met with a dress consisting of bows, bells and very possibly whistles in the form of Lady Chuffrey.

"Lady Chuffrey!" Boq exclaimed. "My, what a pleasant surprise." It really was. A surprise.

"Hello," she smiled sweetly in that way he could never quite tell if genuine or not. "I know it is a surprise, I do apologise. I would have called or sent a note but we are only recently arrived."

Boq dug at Elphie with his elbow, she had yet to speak.

"What are you doing here? Not that I am not –" she tried to recover herself but was not doing a very good job. Boq regretted trying to force her.

"The trade delegation? They are here in Center Munch?" Galinda prompted her.

"Yes, I know. I didn't know however that you were _on_ the trade delegation." Elphie smirked now, another unhelpful move.

"My husband is."

"I know that too. All the other wives are in the Emerald City drinking green tea and playing bridge. Are you so attached..?"

"Heavens no," Lady Chuffrey's candour was unexpected and shocked Boq so much he forgot Elphie's incredible rudeness in having made the enquiry in the first place. "I like to travel and I get around as much as possible. I have my own little uses and missions, you know."

"An heiress society girl with wanderlust. How intriguing." Elphie seemed to be pondering the conundrum and Lady Chuffrey did not seem surprised.

"Well," Boq said, breaking some sort of atmosphere, afraid of how it might develop. "Shall we go in?" Neither lady needed his escort but he liked to think he provided it as they crossed the road and entered the Town Hall.

"I must introduce you to my hubby," Lady Chuffrey took both his and Elphie's arms and steered them over to a middle aged, reasonably overweight, rather normal looking gentleman.

Now Boq knew, on an intellectual level, that Sir Chuffrey was older than themselves. He had also supposed that being a baronet the gentleman was used to good living. But having come to know Lady Chuffrey he had thought there must be another attribute, that Sir Chuffrey would be roguishly good looking or dashing in an Avarician way. Or that he would be witty rather than just rich, perhaps that he would be fascinating rather than just titled. As it turned out, none of that were true. He was a perfectly nice, perfectly dull man.

"Chuff, dear, this is the Eminent Thropp and her aide Master Boq."

"A pleasure to meet you, your Eminence."

Elphie nodded and turned to Boq himself, who would really prefer to be left out of it. "This is my friend Boq," she said pointedly.

Sir Chuffrey held out his hand and Boq shook it, perhaps overdoing the firmness of his grasp in an attempt to prove something.

"Elphie and Boq were at university together," Lady Chuffrey told her husband. "You remember I told you all about it after the Margreave's wedding?"

Chuffrey smiled at her rather indulgently, Boq felt, aware he should be feeling or thinking no such thing when it came to someone else's marriage.

"And now he works for you?" Chuffrey was addressing Elphie.

"With me." It was a subtle correction but one Elphie never let slip.

"I don't recall there being much asking. It was definitely more along the lines of a demand." Ideally Boq felt he should have some input in to this very genteel stand-off developing between Elphie and Sir Chuffrey, particularly being as it was over him and his honour.

"Apparently I can be quite persuasive," Elphie picked up and they managed to divert the conversation with their well-practised banter as he had intended.

After they managed to extricate themselves for the purposes of chatting with other guests Boq thought he heard Lady Chuffrey scolding her husband a little, which he wanted to think was for his benefit.

After the bare minimum of mingling and distributing invitations Elphie was clearly ready to be leaving. Boq supposed attempts of making a lady of her would have to be done in gradual fits and starts. She had been right in that no-one was actually interested in talking to them beyond platitudes. He found the mayor and made their apologies, returning to Elphie with the good news.

"We are free to go."

She mumbled an incoherent curse of relief. "What could a Munchkin and a green woman possibly know about these things?" she harumphed. "Surely not more than Gillikinese bankers! We only live here."

"Leave it," he warned her, mostly to preserve her sanity.

They made it out the door of the reception room but were not safe yet.

"You're not going already, are you?" Lady Chuffrey must have been watching their escape.

"I'm afraid so," Boq said, certain she could see through the façade. "Elphaba has business to attend to."

"I shall be looking forward to your party."

Shockingly Elphie spoke up. "You should come, to Colwen Grounds, before the... do..."

Lady Chuffrey kept more of a lid on her surprise, certainly more than Boq whose mouth almost fell open. "I would like that."

"Tomorrow morning then? It is only an hour or so by carriage. I will send one, if you like."

"No need, I have my own. Save someone the round trip." Boq wouldn't have guessed that she would care about such things, but there you were.

"Well then, whenever you please." Elphie actually smiled. And Lady Chuffrey smiled back. Boq's jaw would have fallen further, had it not been so clamped shut already.

* * *

Galinda was looking forward to her visit with an anticipation that mounted by the minute. As the carriage drew up the main drive she was near enough leaning out the window. Colwen Grounds was a lovely old place and something about it seemed to suit Elphaba very much.

The young lady in question was there at the bottom of the steps as soon as the coach stopped, extending a hand to help her down. Galinda took it and alighted, excited by the prospect of such an interesting day.

"How was your journey?"

"Oh, fine, thank you. Even on that awful road. I do find Munchkinland so dreadfully _flat_," Galinda moaned. "I'm not one for mountains, horrible pointed obtrusive things, but there's nothing like the gently rolling, green Pertha Hills."

"I thought I might have mortally offended you by not visiting Frottica. Especially as I did not see you before you left the wedding."

Galinda was offhand. "That? No. It was just me trying to amuse myself."

"I am glad you are here in any case."

They stood for a moment, apparently unsure as to what to do. Galinda took charge. "What do you have planned for me, then?"

Elphaba seemed alarmed, which had not been Galinda's intent. "I'm not sure there is much to do, in fact. We could take a walk around the grounds? I know you like old houses."

How did she know that? Galinda was not convinced she had ever mentioned it. "Do I?"

"You were always prowling around the exterior of Tenmeadows looking up at the roof and so on. I assumed you were not checking for pigeons. And at Shiz you seemed quite taken by it all."

"How strange of you to notice." That was more than a little touching.

Elphaba simply shrugged. "I notice things."

An arm was offered and Galinda took it, her fingers squeezing themselves in to the crook of Elphaba's elbow. Elphaba was not dressed in her customary black dress but a more casual black skirt and a grey blouse of which the sleeves were rolled up. Galinda herself had taken some time to perfect the artless elegance of her own outfit. There was not a hoop or bustle in sight and she felt all the better for it. The colour choice had troubled her a little, not wanting to clash with her new acquaintance.

Acquaintance, was that right? Friend? Galinda was unsure. What to call a person one barely spoke to but whenever did they appeared to know one's every secret?

Still now they walked in silence through the garden, Galinda intently studying the features. There was something wrong though. The balustrades and walls were pockmarked with holes. She reached up to one.

"What is it?" she asked, running her fingers over it. The stone at the edge crumbled at her touch and she pulled back. There was no pattern, no intention behind them.

"Musket shot," Elphaba said, as if it were obvious.

Galinda's mind reeled. Someone was taking target practice on the walls of Colwen Grounds? On the sculptures and belvederes of the garden?

She turned toward her hostess and saw behind, across the lawn running up to that side of the house, scores and scores of gravestones. Actual gravestones.

Elphaba followed her gaze. "It is a testament to my failure," she said calmly. "Soon after I arrived, knowing of my reputation, many Animals came here for protection."

This was it, the strange rumours of the Animal Massacre at Colwen Grounds. It was truer than anything Galinda had heard of it.

"Protection I was unable to provide. Of course the assembly of Animals was illegal by then. We buried them where they fell. If it were up to me I wouldn't have buried them at all, the bare bones would have been a far more arresting sight." Elphaba was staring blankly at the lawn, as though seeing the sights all over again.

"Oh, Elphie..." Galinda's other hand came up to take Elphaba's arm as well, rubbing it in an attempt at consolation. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was," she said, without anger, just resignation, empty. "I deserve to see it every day, be reminded of it every day."

Galinda didn't want to argue with her, just leant her head against Elphie's shoulder until she shook herself out of it and they turned back to their walk.

"And where is your husband today?" Elphaba enquired after a while.

"Business, the usual. I am surprised you are not more involved in it all. I had thought you might be."

Elphaba considered that as if wanting to give Galinda a real answer, which so few people ever bothered to do. "My interests run more to the political than the economic. Which is not to say the two are not inextricably bound together, because they are. I see a bigger picture that needs to be negotiated first, before the smaller details of exactly what fraction of a percentage should be fixed on the grain subsidies. If people were to spend as much time talking about Animal rights, the exploitation of indigenous populations or what amounts the systematic ethnic cleansing of our capital as they do about the stock market and stockpiles then Oz might actually be a better place."

The speech render Galinda astonished. In addition to being more words than she had ever heard Elphaba utter in one go the content of them was near enough treasonable.

"Besides, the corn barons and meat magnates are my biggest detractors here, they hate me more than anyone. I see their corruption and malpractice and I will not let it lie. Right now we are funding a court case against a local landowner, over working conditions. Not so much a thorn in their side as a whole tree."

"You make very free with your opinions, Elphaba. Could that not be considered dangerous?"

Elphaba shrugged. "Talk will get us in trouble soon enough. That time is not here yet, not for me, and I intend on using my free speech to full effect in the interim. Besides, there is no proof. Merely the eccentric rambling of a green spinster."

Galinda hoped Elphie would also note that she had nothing to fear from present company. Because she didn't, Galinda told herself, she didn't. There was nothing to fear from her. It was all done in Elphaba's best interests. But such a reassurance was not forthcoming.

She pushed on. "The Eminent Thropp is a counter revolutionary?"

"Something like that, yes." Elphaba stopped now and turned to look at her. Galinda could not tell what she was looking for but faced her back, firm and clear. Elphaba laughed. "Anyway, you did not come to hear me scare you with politics. Are you hungry?"

Galinda nodded and Elphaba took her in to the house by a side door, directly in to an empty kitchen. "Where is everyone?" she asked, confused.

Elphaba glanced at her and misunderstood. "Boq and Mallo are in town making arrangements for the party, which I refuse to be party to." She smirked at her little pun. "I suppose everyone else... well, I keep them busy, here and there," she wound up vaguely.

"Your kitchen staff?" Galinda prompted.

"For that you shall have to do with me. There is some soup and I am quite handy at slicing bread. I can cut cheese as well." She pulled out a chair at the beaten old wooden table, presumably for Galinda to sit on.

"You eat in the kitchen?" Galinda sat, numbed.

"Indeed. It is remarkably close to the food, I find."

"You have no kitchen staff?"

"No 'staff' of any sort I'm afraid. Not like that. Everyone is engaged in real work and between us we cobble together the cooking and cleaning. Sorry, should I have declared this before you came? I supposed you would have anticipated something outrageous and very much 'not done'. I thought that might be part of the adventure, something to gossip with everyone about back in the civilisation of the Emerald City."

Galinda was taken aback. Elphaba seemed at once to know exactly what she was thinking, challenge it and make her want to be completely the opposite.

"No, I... I wanted to see you, primarily. I was surprised but pleased you invited me here. I did not want to pry. Besides, I think it is all rather admirable."

Elphaba looked sceptical.

Galinda just carried on. "Now, dazzle me with your displays of cutting."

Smiling Elphaba sawed off two entirely disparate slices of bread and a triangular lump of cheese. "I can ladle as well," she added as she did indeed ladle soup in to two bowls, bringing them over and setting herself opposite.

"So, the party. Is Nessa coming? I should like to see her again."

Elphaba nodded. "My brother, Shell, is around here somewhere as well, ready for the _function_," she enunciated with distaste. "Though he is probably carousing in town, the swine." She spoke with obvious affection and more than a hint of jealousy. So her brother disliked the formal too? What a set. "You shall meet him tomorrow if he behaves himself and I think he deserves it."

"And your father?"

"No, he never comes here. He won't. Just as well really. I'd rather have three houses full of you socialites and dignitaries than even him alone."

Galinda could not empathise with that feeling. "I should have thought the one house was too exhausting and tedious to bear." That was putting it very lightly, she thought. Physical tiredness and a little boredom were the least of her objections.

"Exhausting? Tedious? Your husband, your titles, your money?" Elphaba prompted her as though she thought Galinda were joking.

"That is all very much a farce," she remarked candidly. "Mother had the title, Father had the money. Chuffrey and myself? He has title and money enough. All in all I'm not sure what either of us need the other for. But, Mother and Father knew best, as ever. They fudged the grandchild angle however."

"You don't want children?" Elphaba was watching her, and Galinda was incredibly aware of it.

She shook her head, still chewing, until able to say, "Dear old Chuff can't have children. Just as well really or there would be hundreds of them littering Oz, the way he carries on." The statement came matter of factly. Because it was a matter of fact. No use getting upset about it. That was what her mother had always said. She didn't feel upset about either element in any case.

"I think of him as a sort of fatherly figure." She considered her actual father and then their status as man and wife, on paper at least, which made that statement strange. "Maybe more a kindly uncle." That was only a very little better but it would have to do.

She felt small and insignificant under Elphaba's gaze. "I'm sorry," she said, her words finally catching up with her and making her flushed. "You must think me terribly self-indulgent."

"No." Elphie's hand moved across the table to cover her own, making Galinda feel immeasurably better immediately, even if she was patted distractedly in an unpractised way. "No, I think you are terribly... defiant."

* * *

For everyone's sanity Elphaba had made the decision to involve outside help in readying the house. If there must be such functions she at least wanted to stay as far away as possible. She disliked the intrusion however and spent most of the time in her room or the library whilst a veritable circus of caterers, decorators, musicians, florists and goodness only knew who trooped about.

As the time grew closer however she did find herself possessed of a restless sort of energy that prompted Mallo to ask Boq, "What's wrong with Elphaba? She seems really happy."

"You're being exceedingly unpleasant," she retorted. But she couldn't deny it entirely. She did feel... moved. Moved to something like excitement. It was a very peculiar sensation and she was not sure she approved.

Boq and Mallo both looked very dapper in their evening wear and Nessa had on a silver affair to match her shoes. Elphaba conceded that the dress she had cooked the oatmeal in for breakfast that morning would probably not suffice. She reluctantly went upstairs to change, pre-empting Nessa's intervention, and chose a dress with a slight embroidered pattern, hoping it might help her blend in to the curtains.

The guests started to arrive and Elphaba needed Boq to forcibly position her by the door to receive them but at least Nessa was there too, Shell having managed to disappear.

She fussed and fidgeted. Sir and Lady Chuffrey arrived. She shook their hands and the hands of the rest of the trade delegation and local society types.

Once everyone arrived Elphaba had thought to run away to the kitchen but found it full of alien people making alien kinds of food. Turning back to head for the library she came face to face with Lady Chuffrey, resplendent and huge in an outrageous dress.

"You look like a Galindaberry bush." She really hoped Galindaberries were edible.

"Is that a compliment, Elphaba, dear?" Galinda teased, but there was a slight flush there that Elphaba couldn't help but notice.

"If it is then it's the best you are going to get from me," Elphaba conceded.

"And what are you doing skulking about here?"

"I was looking for somewhere to hide."

"I found you."

"Indeed you did, you were lucky. A few moments later and I would have disappeared in to the library."

"The library is the other side of the hallway, you would have been spotted."

Elphaba advanced on a bookcase against the wall, ran her hands along one side and gave it a sharp tug. It came away.

"A secret corridor," Galinda said. "Of course there is."

"Runs the full width of the house along the ballroom. And there are others. Not even of my design, probably as old as the house itself."

"I never knew the Thropps had such a flare for the dramatic."

Elphaba shrugged. She had hoped Lady Chuffrey might be secretly impressed.

"But don't run off, I want you to show me around and introduce me to people."

The idea did not seem so horrific with a little company. So Elphaba re-entered the fray with Lady Chuffrey at her side and whispered to her all the most scandalous gossip she knew about her guests.

Finally she spotted her brother. "That's Shell over there, mooning in the corner with a drink. I shan't introduce you. He is being altogether too miserable and not helping me out at all. This shall be his punishment."

Lady Chuffrey giggled and hung off Elphaba's arm in a manner that made Elphaba feel quite brave in the face of all these idiots.

Unhelpfully Boq then appeared, looking uncannily calm. "Sorry, excuse me, Lady Chuffrey. Elphie, I need you in the library a moment."

She knew what was going on. If it were nothing much he would be more stressed instead he was keeping a very tight lid on himself. She turned to Lady Chuffrey. "It looks like I have to go and do some Eminencing. Sheep rustling or somesuch. Enjoy the party."

Lady Chuffrey looked slighted, but nodded. Elphaba took off to the library with Boq ahead and inside she found Mallo looking tense with a Dog sat in an armchair drinking brandy.

"What's going on?"

"One of the safehouses..."

"Blood and sand," Elphaba cursed. "How many? Who?"

Mallo and the Dog looked at one another. "Our friend here thinks about twenty were staying. Others could have escaped as well, though."

"Thinks?" Elphaba felt abrupt, felt churlish. "Why don't we know? Why would we rely on someone else to 'think'?"

"Elphie," Mallo's voice quivered. "It's hard... to keep track."

"That's our job. That's what we do."

"That's what we try to do," Boq interjected.

Bristling with impotent rage Elphaba flung herself in to a seat and put her head in her hands. There were too many clouds in her brain as it was. She felt dangerously unclear and she did not know why which made it all the more frustrating.

"Obviously we're not doing very well," was her eventual statement.

Padding over, the Dog placed a paw on Elphaba's shoulder. She looked up. "Think about all the things you can do," the Dog said, gentle eyes trying to reassure. Elphaba only felt this and a thousand other failures bearing down on her but apparently others still saw hope.

It was a luxury, a forgiveness she would not allow herself. "It's not the things I can do that keep me up at night. It's all the things I can't do."

She pressed her hands against her forehead, trying to forcibly mould her mind in to better shape. "What we can do right now," she said standing up, taking charge, "is get you some food and a room for the night." She strode over to the corner of the room, pulled back a tapestry and opened a door. She held it while Mallo and the Dog went through then followed, instructing Boq to get back to the party.

Out near the kitchens Mallo disappeared with their guest and Elphaba turned back to the bookcase but was greeted with a surprise.

In the middle of the hall behind her was a pale and hesitant Lady Chuffrey. She stood out against the dark wood panelling of the dim corridor. The light played the same tricks on Elphaba's mind as it had at Tenmeadows, causing an inexplicable desire to reach out and check Lady Chuffrey was not simply a ghostly mirage.

She spoke, answering the question Elphaba felt she should have asked, enquiries that should have been made were she not so distracted. "I thought it might have been an elaborate ruse for you to escape somewhere."

"So you decided to stake out my corridors?" Elphaba was still riding her wave of despair and self flagellation and had not been intending to stop any time soon. Such an interruption should have peeved her further. It didn't, it felt like a relief. Which in itself felt like a betrayal of herself.

"In a manner of speaking." Galinda paused for a moment with eyes flicking about and Elphaba knew what was coming. "Elphie, was that a Dog?"

Elphaba's brain churned. This was tricky, but not insurmountable. "Yes," she said simply. "You'd better come in to the library."

Through the corridor – which got a quick dusting from Lady Chuffrey's ruffles – they entered the library. Elphaba decided a touch more brandy might be in order and poured two small glasses.

"There is a little more..." Elphaba began, "a little more than just politics and litigation and talk going on in this house."

"I realised that," Lady Chuffrey said quietly, Elphaba watching her intently. "When you were talking yesterday... I knew if there was that much feeling you must be doing more. I don't know whether to be proud or terrified."

"I require neither," Elphaba snapped but immediately felt ashamed.

They sat for a while, Elphaba distractedly turning the glass in her hands and not looking up.

"Why do you care so much? It doesn't affect you." Lady Chuffrey broke the silence.

"It does. It affects everyone, if only they could see. If it's this easy to get rid of something you don't like – to strip rights, to end lives – where does it stop?"

The conversation proceeded to the logical conclusion, as Elphaba knew it would. "You think you'll be next? Dissident, political, woman, improper – green?"

But there was no personal motivation. "Sooner or later everyone will be next."

It kept Lady Chuffrey silent, pondering something. Elphaba felt uncomfortable whereas normally she enjoyed making other people feel that way. "Besides," she said gently, smiling a little and reaching to take the empty glass from the girl, "who are you calling improper?"

There was a small smile in return, which broke in to a small laugh and Elphaba congratulated herself.

"You are the most improper person I have met in all of Oz. And yet," something flashed in Lady Chuffrey's eyes, which seemed dark and brooding, making Elphaba want to grip the arms of her chair to brace herself against them and whatever speech was on its way. "Yet you are the most real, the most relevant as well."

Being usually not keen on compliments Elphaba felt that 'relevant' was not really all that bad. But Lady Chuffrey was still looking at her and Elphaba felt things unsaid behind the eyes she realised she had been tantamount to admiring moments before. If there was more forthcoming she did not want to hear it, she did not deserve to hear it.

She cleared her throat and looked around herself for something to do, almost on the verge of a panic, feeling altogether too warm and claustrophobic. She stood and took the empty glasses back to the cabinet and was about to turn to enquire about a second helping when she realised there was no need, Lady Chuffrey had followed her and stood at her elbow, unnecessarily but not unpleasantly.

"Another?" Elphaba definitely needed one herself, her throat felt dry.

The response was just a shaken head. Lady Chuffrey remained in place and Elphaba did also. In the silence between them, although it echoed in Elphaba's ears, the music and hum of chatter could clearly be heard from the rest of the house.

Lady Chuffrey broke their gaze, ending the stare and the silence. "I was rather looking forward to tonight. It is quite different – you are quite different – from my normal engagements. I thought at least I might have a little dance."

Elphaba held out her hand. She received a startled look. Elphaba herself was startled but still, there was her hand and it did not waver.

Pale fingers slipped in to it, fingers running the length of Elphaba's own until their palms came together. Elphaba put a hesitant hand to the Lady's waist and held her gingerly. The returning grip was much more insistent and Elphaba was pulled towards her, their hips touching. Her partner kept staring at their joined, raised hands. Elphaba looked too but could not see whatever was so fascinating.

They moved together, Elphaba restraining them to less energetic half-steps given their lack of room which had the unintended side effect of making the standard, respectable dance a good deal slower.

"You're actually rather good at this," Lady Chuffrey smiled up at her.

"Well, you see, the thing is, Lady Chuffrey –" Elphaba was about to make some terribly witty remark about her dancing prowess when she was interrupted.

"Galinda," Lady Chuffrey corrected her. It had become almost a game, that withholding of more informal address, revenge for Elphaba's informality at their first meeting.

"Galinda..." Elphaba said very deliberately, feeling Galinda's hand tremble in her own for a moment and this overwhelming, pervasive warmth that seemed to come over them so that Elphaba entirely forgot what it was she had intended to say.

The music stopped and they stopped with it but Elphaba found it impossible to disengage straight away. When she did, when she stepped back in to the cold air she saw Galinda looking very small. "Would you like to come through?" Elphaba offered.

Galinda took her arm back through to the ball room. She solicitously fetched another glass of punch, though more alcohol was probably not really in order at this point. She felt that same warmth as she handed it over and their fingers met, an every day sort of action other people usually scrupulously shunned.

For the rest of the night she avoided Galinda – avoided that feeling, avoided thinking – and pleased Boq and Nessa immensely by trying to make conversation with various guests. At the end of the evening she would not receive any farewells however, feeling she had done more than enough. Instead she stole up to her bedroom.

Elphaba watched out of the window as Galinda got in to her carriage, followed by her husband. As the carriage started away she moved back in to the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: The etiquette rant by Galinda's mother is taken almost wholesale from _Hints on Etiquette and the Usages of Society; with a Glance at Bad Habits _by Charles WM Day (1844). Handy for research and also hilarious. Less hilarious but more handy is _Etiquette_ by Emily Post (1910). Both are available from Project Gutenberg. A huge thank you for all the reviews and so on, and to everyone for reading.

* * *

It was Galinda's birthday. And, so help her, she would make the most of it. It meant a free pass to all sorts of things that might otherwise not be indulged. Chuffrey doted, she had been shopping, which was not, in fairness, so very different, her parents were visiting and she was having a dinner party of her very own. No ulterior business motives for her husband or networking purposes for her. Just for the sheer pleasure of it.

Currently in her dressing room getting ready there was a knock on the door which could only be Chuffrey.

"Come in, Chuff," she good naturedly scolded him, whilst appreciating his respect for her privacy.

He put his head round the door then came in. "Dear, will you do my tie for me?"

"Of course." She was still at her dressing table but much more dressed than he, with his shirt tails hanging out, sleeves uncuffed, collar only halfway on and no tie in evidence.

"Like a child!" she fussed.

He seemed to flinch though she hadn't meant anything by it. "Do you wish..?"

"No," she said briskly. She was not in the mood for this conversation. Chuffrey sometimes seemed to resent that she _didn't_ resent that there could be no children. "Getting too old for all that now."

"Your youth has not entirely slipped away!"

"I shouldn't mind if it did," she retorted. She had meant too old for regrets, for wishing things were different.

He stopped and gazed at her. She was at her looking glass so when their eyes met it felt once removed, all taking place in this dimension beyond the mirror. It made her that little bit braver.

"Perhaps youth is overrated. I would like to be older. People might take me more seriously. My youth is of use and cachet to you, but to me it feels like a disadvantage."

He had been tucking his shirt in to his trousers and now paused mid-act in an unseemly pose. "What disadvantage do you incur?"

It had not been her intention to get in to a debate with him. She was saving up all her banter for later. "Several, I find," she said, choosing not to elaborate.

Still looking at her via the mirror he said "Your life is not hard, pet. Your life is unspeakably easy."

It was exactly what she did not want to hear. Galinda had been barely out of her teens when she married him and had still acted very much like she were that age. But she wasn't any more. In the intervening five years she had grown up. Sometimes she thought he didn't see that. Sometimes she thought he didn't want to see that.

Patting her hair one last time she stood and made toward the door. "I'm going down, I'm not convinced about the seating plan." She had not tied his tie.

He smiled at her. "You've gone over it one hundred times already." He touched her arm as she passed. "You look beautiful. Different, somehow. Is that a new dress?"

"It's always a new dress," she smiled sweetly at him, disengaging his hand.

It was a new dress. Not only a new dress; a new style of dress. A new style of her. She had almost not wanted him to notice. It was not for his benefit. Not that it was for anyone's benefit, she reassured herself. Just her own. But he was not the person she wanted to notice.

That person... well. She was unlikely to notice. Still, Galinda could hope.

It confused her no small amount this desperation for Elphaba's... not approval exactly. Maybe it was just as simple as attention. The way Elphie looked at her like she were the most important person in the whole of Oz. Like she mattered. Then this chaotic desire to keep putting herself in Elphaba's way, in her path, so that maybe something might come of it. What that something was, though, she did not know.

Downstairs she met her parents in the parlour reserved for the event. Eiranda of the Arduennas of the Uplands and Haiwel of Frottica were a formidable pair but Galinda was always pleased to see them. Hopeful, that this time it might be different.

"Darling!" her mother greeted her with kisses on the cheeks and forehead. "Happy birthday!"

Galinda blushed, unsure why. Her mother's effusiveness, the lingering remembrances of Elphaba. The childish excitement she felt. What had she just been saying about wanting to be older? "Thank you," she said, and kissed her father. "You both look very well," she said. They always did.

"As do you, you look lovely. Very grown up." He had noticed too. Her father had never been one for compliments. Even now his attention shifted to looking around the room, for a newspaper and a chair to ensconce himself in.

Galinda rewarded him by taking her mother off in to the dining room to inspect the flowers and seating plan.

"The Eminent Thropp?" her mother read from the table chart. "Really, Galinda?"

"Mm, yes." Galinda attempted to be offhand. She did not feel very convincing. "Chuffrey and I were at a dance at her house in Munchkinland two months back. And I saw her at Tenmeadows, at the Margreave's wedding."

"Oh, _him_. Did you hear they caught him not two weeks later in the pantry with some poor girl?"

Galinda shrugged. No particular surprise there.

"Of course nothing will ever come of it, for him anyway," her mother continued. "Though the girl has been dismissed."

Wandering around the table tracing her fingers over the silver cutlery Galinda smiled a little. "Sympathy, mother? For the lower orders?"

"When it comes to that boy, perhaps yes. I just like a bit of propriety. Society is going to the dogs Galinda. Take your friend, her Eminence. The way she consorts with that aide of hers... together alone all the time, both unmarried..." Her mother tutted, the venom under the surface just dying to break free.

"Oh, really, that is more than absurd."

"The previous Eminence, Unnamed God keep his soul, was a great gentleman."

"Have you ever met Elphaba?"

Her mother looked blank.

"Her Eminence? Have you ever met her?"

"I suppose I will tonight," Eiranda sniffed and Galinda felt victorious somehow.

When they got back to the parlour Chuffrey had appeared and was taking a whiskey with Haiwel.

"Finally perfected the seating?" he grinned, nudging at Haiwel in an acknowledgement of the frivolity.

"It's highly irregular," Eiranda fussed. "Properly her Eminence should sit opposite me, on the other side of Sir Chuffrey."

"I want her near me," Galinda countered. "It is my birthday."

"Everything will be out of order. Two gentlemen will have to sit next to each other."

"I'm sure whichever fellows can bear that for Galinda," Chuffrey intervened. "Indeed it is her birthday and she has not seen her friend for some time."

"Friend?" her mother's mind snagged on the word. "Friend? I thought you had seen her at a party once or twice? What is this 'friend'?"

The footman came to announce the first guest arriving and Galinda sailed sweetly off to do her hostessing duty, happily bypassing having to explain the particulars of her relationship with Elphaba to her mother. Not that she would have known what or how to explain.

It was only a small gathering. Aside from herself, Chuffrey and her parents there were three other couples including Shenshen and her husband. Thankfully Pfannee had a prior engagement, Galinda was not quite sure what she would have done if she had not. Everyone else had arrived and were waiting on the final pair, Elphaba and Boq.

"We should go in," her mother fussed. "Maybe they are not coming?"

She would like that, Galinda knew. With impeccable timing, in the context of overall lateness, Elphaba appeared in the doorway. To Galinda's mind a vision of wondrous madness, all green and black and flashing white teeth.

"Hullo!" Elphaba exclaimed, seeming in a better mood than Galinda had ever known her. That or more nervous than Galinda had ever known her.

"Elphie!" Galinda could not help her pleasure spilling over. "Lovely to see you. And Boq! So glad you could make it."

Boq bowed quickly to her and kissed her hand. "Lady Chuffrey, you look splendid. Many happy returns."

"Why, thank you. Please, get yourself a drink, I think we are ready to go through."

He trotted off and Galinda turned eagerly back to Elphaba.

"I brought you a book," Elphie was saying. "Brought rather than bought, mind. Do not get too grateful."

"Why, thank you." A second hand book ineptly wrapped in brown paper beat every other present in the world at that moment and Galinda didn't know what to say.

Chuffrey came towards them. "Your Eminence," he said with a smile. "So good to see you again. Galinda, we should take our seats."

"Yes, of course," she said, feeling overwhelmed. "You start going in. I will be there in a moment."

As the rest of the party filed in to the dining room Galinda made no attempt to move, she stayed where she was by the door. Elphaba stayed too, as if knowing why, as if she wanted a moment alone as much as Galinda did.

"You look... nice," Elphie said, once everyone had gone.

"Did Boq tell you to say that?"

"No. Well, he did. But I was going to say it anyway."

"So you would have said it whether I looked nice or not?" Galinda teased.

"Here I am trying to be on my best behaviour and do what is proper and all I get is this grief," Elphie said in that exasperated way that Galinda knew was just teasing in return.

Galinda smiled at it, smiled at just being in Elphaba's company, then grew serious. "Please," she said, putting a hand on Elphaba's arm, drawing her attention immediately. "Please don't be on your best behaviour. Or be proper. Everyone else... That's not what I need from you."

Her hand was still on Elphaba's arm and they both stared down. Galinda's fingers pinched at the material, rubbing at it.

"What do you need from me?" Elphie was quiet, intense, the words were breathed rather than spoken.

"To be you."

"That I can do," Elphie said, more normally, moving back a little. "In which case you look _very_ nice. You look..."

Elphaba looked at the dress but Galinda was looking at Elphie's face. She could see the words – the potential words – swimming through Elphie's mind. She longed for something to be plucked out, something she could hold on to. There was a dark look in Elphie's eyes as they swept up and down Galinda, who felt herself trembling under them. Then it faltered.

"...very nice."

Galinda decided to make the most of it. "Well, thank you." Indeed from Elphaba that meant a great deal and she knew there was more unsaid. "We had better go in. The soup will get cold."

"Cold soup!" Elphie mocked as she held out her arm. "On your birthday of all days! It's monstrous is what it is."

Everyone was indeed sat waiting as the pair arrived at the table. Galinda thought this just as well: the look on her mother's face at the sight of her daughter hanging off the Eminent Thropp's arm indicated she would otherwise have keeled over.

Galinda and Elphaba took their places at the far end of the table, with Boq on Galinda's other side in an effort to appease Elphie and make her feel more comfortable. Galinda had been explicit about this in the invitation, fearing anti-social tendencies might get the better of her Eminence.

In fact the dinner went off without a hitch and Galinda very much enjoyed herself. Boq and Elphaba made a good double act, so familiar with each other they could finish each other's sentences and perform to great comic effect so even their neighbours, Shenshen's husband and one of Chuffrey's younger more amiable colleagues, became drawn in.

After seven delicious and decadent courses the party moved through to the drawing room, in deference to it being Galinda's birthday the men did not remain at the table for cigars and port but struck up a game of bridge.

"Boq?" Galinda offered. "Do you play?"

"Yes, Boq," Elphie prodded, herself comfortably arranged on a settee. "Play some bridge with Lady Eiranda and the others."

"You know I can't cope with bridge. I just giggle and it's really not very manly," he hissed at her.

"Now then, you little coward," Elphaba berated him.

Galinda physically pulled him from his seat and gave him a little push in the direction of the second table that was forming. Then, ulterior motive revealed, she took his seat near to Elphaba.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Elphie did not turn, she kept herself facing toward the rest of the group so that Galinda mostly looking saw her back, looking over her shoulder as they both faced the games.

"Yes, thank you." She thought Elphie might have been the first person to ask that, to really care. "Are you?"

"I think I'm coping."

Galinda could see enough of the smile. "I think you're doing very well."

"I might just crawl out of my skin."

"Can you do that?" Galinda enquired cheekily. "Like a lizard?"

Elphie smiled more, turning to her. "No, though I rather wish I could come to think of it. That would be a most excellent party trick."

"What are you two giggling about over here?"

"I don't giggle." Chuffrey had approached on them and Elphaba shot back the admonishment in a rapid fire manner.

Chuffrey laughed at that, to Galinda's relief. She forgave him for the interruption. "Did you enjoy the meal?" he was asking Elphie.

"Very much." Brief but sincere, Galinda felt.

"The seating plan was giving Galinda great pains," he continued and Galinda felt mortification building. "Trying to accommodate you."

"I noticed," Elphaba said, narrowing her eyes at Galinda so she felt she was being scrutinised. "I might not approve of such nonsense but it does amuse me very much to break it and never more so than when it is broken on my behalf by such a disciple. But then, maybe Lady Chuffrey is less of an adherent than we all thought."

She and Chuffrey were both looking at Galinda, whose cheeks were rapidly warming. "It is all nonsense. I don't see what harm could possibly be done by bending the rules on occasion and indeed we have proved tonight that no harm can come of it."

Her mother, who must have been deliberately listening in to the conversation and concentrating very hard on it, waiting for just such an opportunity, called over from her table. "Many _unthinking_ persons consider the observance of etiquette to be practised only by the silly and the idle. This is an opinion that arises from their not having reflected on the reasons that have led to the establishment of certain rules indispensable to the well-being of society, without which, indeed, it would inevitably fall to pieces and be destroyed."

It did not seem clear to Galinda whether that was aimed at herself, at Elphaba or just all of Oz in general. Naturally Elphaba took it up.

"I would that were true, Lady Eiranda," Elphie remarked in a genial, pondering tone more as if she were in agreement. "If I could bring down society with my irreverence I would not rest until it were done."

Poor Boq, sat at the very same table, forced out a stiff laugh. "Oh, Elphie!" He did not manage to fool anyone in to thinking this were any sort of unusual outburst or an intentional attempt at humour or parody. Galinda smiled sympathetically at him.

However her mother was being decidedly unsympathetic. "And yet, Miss Thropp, this is a society that has given you a great many gifts. Your wealth, your title, your home..."

"I certainly never petitioned for them." She was on the verge of stormy. Galinda couldn't tell what was being said for effect and what was real.

It did not take long for Galinda to weigh up her options. "Mother! Really! I'm sure talk of money and titles is not proper observance of etiquette either. You are disturbing the peace of my party."

In the meantime Elphaba had risen from her seat and headed over to the door. Galinda hurried after her whilst her father placated his wife and others fussed around her. Back over at the bridge table Boq made hasty excuses but Galinda was fully focussed on Elphaba.

"I know enough to know where I am not wanted," Elphie said as she wrapped her scarf violently around her. "Which is more or less everywhere."

"I want you here," Galinda said, feeling desperate.

Elphie's voice was gentle though, not annoyed as Galinda had thought it would be. "You enjoy the rest of your birthday. With your family. And your friends."

Galinda knew full well that Elphie had counted herself out of that equation. "Please stay," she tried again; to correct Elphie's belief if nothing else. She knew there was no chance of a change of mind.

By now Elphaba had escaped from the parlour and into the hallway, with Boq somewhere behind looking for his coat.

"I don't want it to be like this," Galinda found herself saying. "I don't want my life to be like this. _I_ don't want to be like this."

"Then don't be."

Galinda felt blank, "But... but what choice do I have?"

"Every choice in the world," Elphaba said, as though it were obvious. She made it seem obvious.

* * *

Elphaba tugged her hood further down over her face, deftly side stepped a street vendor and hurried on down the road. She felt fairly convinced she was being followed, a particularly unhelpful development. She had slipped a message to some Animal rights people arranging the transfer of some funds and since leaving the warehouse district there had been a nagging sense of something perturbing.

As the dusk gathered she used the cover of some street girls on a corner causing a disturbance with a constable to slip down an alley and double back along a parallel street. The exercise was not a problem but it was getting her nowhere slowly whilst her temper got somewhere very fast indeed. There was no question of going back to Lower Mennipen Street before this tail was lost, if it even existed. She briefly considered that might be a sign of growing paranoia. But then, paranoia served a valuable psychological function of keeping one safe.

Pondering such thoughts she was by chance fast approaching the Florinthwaite Club where just two days ago there had been Galinda's party. An idea occurred to her so she slowed in front of a newspaper seller for a discreet look behind whilst pretending to study the selection. She purchased one and could see nothing particularly suspicious so darted up the front steps of the club where the doorman held open the door.

Quickly shrugging off her cloak – which made her look something of a villain in such surroundings – she launched in to her spiel before the desk clerk could protest.

"The Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland! Good evening!" She wondered at her ebullience in this place. "Here to see Lady Chuffrey."

The clerk simply nodded. Perhaps he recognised her. Perhaps he thought better than to challenge her.

"If you would like to go through to the ladies drawing room just here I will send a message to Lady Chuffrey."

Elphaba did and though reading her newspaper when the door opened it was folded and flat on the table by the time the last of Galinda's skirts were in the room. She struggled to extricate herself from the low armchair, it seemed hardly worth the effort but the surroundings seemed to demand it, Galinda seemed to demand that civility.

"Elphie!" Her voice bore the same tone it had the other night, a sort of breathless pleasure that Elphaba had never before associated with the sight of herself.

"Elphie? I suppose that is Boq's bad influence." She had begun noticing that creeping in, apparently now a permanent fixture.

"What a wonderful surprise!" Galinda continued over Elphaba's thoughts. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was just passing," she said gruffly "Thought I would do the surprise visiting for a change." She felt defensive all of a sudden, annoyed at herself.

"Thank you for my book, it was very thoughtful of you."

Galinda positively beamed but also appeared rather formal for the occasion. "Were you on your way somewhere?"

"That doesn't matter," Galinda waved the concern away and took the chair next to her, allowing her to sit.

"You want to be careful," Elphaba warned as she tried to arrange herself amongst the plush cushions. "It's getting stormy and that dress looks so light and fluffy that you are liable to be borne away by a strong breeze."

"Do you think I should go anywhere interesting?"

"What?"

"If I were borne away on the wind?"

"Less interesting than the opera or theatre or wherever you are intending to go."

"I'm not going anywhere. Something more important cropped up."

Elphaba opened her mouth to enquire before stupidly realising that Galinda meant, of course, she herself. That strange guilty feeling rumbled in her stomach again.

"Should I go and change?"

"Change if you like but don't do anything on my account."

"Maybe later. How are you though? Are you enjoying your sojourn in the City? No? I didn't think so. How have you been occupying yourself?"

She was making poor Galinda struggle. She should not have come. Or if she had it certainly should not have been under these circumstances. She was not about to regale Lady Chuffrey with stories of clandestine meetings. Why hadn't she thought to anyway? It was not all that bad. In fact it was really rather pleasant.

"Are you ill? Is something wrong?"

"No. No, this bad temper is all my own doing." She smiled in a way she hoped was apologetic, not having much practice.

"It's quite all right." Galinda was really too understanding. Too quick to put up with her nonsense, Elphaba thought ruefully.

"So! This place is nice!" She stood and wandered around the room, examining the furnishings. "But isn't it like always living in a hotel?" It was an effort, this sociability.

Thankfully Galinda allowed the change in conversation. "Perhaps. I'm not sure that's a problem though. I'm not keen on Mockbeggar. Nothing seems quite right."

Elphaba was not at all sure how she should take that. Didn't people like Lady Chuffrey want a great marbled hallway full of Ozma the Librarian era sideboards? Portraits of illustrious ancestors, the taxidermied heads of their kills, antique grandfather clocks? That was how she remembered Colwen Grounds from visits in her childhood. That she aimed for the opposite of.

"I suppose I know what you mean. Colwen Grounds... is not exactly homely. Which is largely my fault."

"I avoid one and you dismantled one. How fascinating of us."

Elphaba had come here for safety, not to be rattled by insight. She simply shrugged.

"When will you be back there?" Still Galinda forged gamely on.

This was more like it. "Not for a while. I'm going on a little visit in Munchkinland. Meet some new people."

"Oh? Whereabouts?"

"Just around, a few different places. See what's going on out there in Oz."

"As Eminence? Or in a more... personal capacity?"

"Something like that."

"Elphaba the Mysterious!" Galinda smiled. "Very well."

"No, it's just... things are happening. I don't want to bore you with it."

"I'm not bored." It was said with such deadly seriousness that Elphaba felt quite taken aback.

She thought it necessary to defend herself somehow, or at least provide a reasoning. "If I seem... vague," she said, being quite vague as she did it, "it's nothing personal, to you. There are some things – most things, in fact – that I don't want other people knowing." She meant a lot more than her political opinions and her itineraries and hoped Galinda might be able to see in it further explanation of her actions.

Galinda nodded slowly. "For their benefit? Or for yours?"

"Both," she said candidly, dragging her eyes up to meet Galinda's. She could fool herself and say it was entirely for Galinda's safety and indeed a large part of it was. But a good sized part was for Elphaba's own sanity.

They mulled that over, Galinda fiddling her hands in her lap and Elphaba stood at the fireplace poking figurines on the mantelpiece.

"It's just that as the drought worsens and Oz stands by doing nothing and more Munchkinlanders arrive back in the farms not being able to find work here in the City... tensions mount. There are people more than willing to take advantage of that for their own profit and power."

"Then?"

"Munchkinland will secede from Oz."

In the wistful flicker of her eyes off to the side Galinda must have seen something. "You don't want that, truly?"

"No." Elphaba recovered herself. "I want Oz to be good enough that we don't need to." She smiled quickly at Galinda, hoping to ease some of the tension that had blanketed the room.

Instead Galinda mused, "Religion and politics: the two things one is never supposed to talk about are actually really all you ever talk about."

"They are important," she countered, glad for a more abstract discussion. "Well, religion shouldn't be important but examining the stranglehold it has on society is important. And politics is important."

"Politics is just old men with cigars," Galinda said with an offhand, dismissive tone.

"Do I look like an old man with a cigar?"

"You?" Galinda was taken aback. "That's different."

It was not the first time Elphaba had undertaken this argument. "Everything is political. Stocks and shares and the markets. Where we live, what we buy. What we call ourselves and what we call others."

If she had been expecting Galinda to crumble under her well rehearsed reasoning she soon realised she was sorely mistaken. "You're talking about people, about their power. About culture and society. People don't see themselves as political and most politics is not personal, that's where you lose them. They need to see how those things affect them, affect their family and friends. Their children and _their_ children."

"That's just..." Elphaba was well aware she did not normally struggle articulating or understanding such things. "That's selfish, a self centred approach."

"It's basic psychology. Put people in control, not have them thinking it should all be for the faceless bureaucrats to handle. Everyone still benefits. It's about how you pitch these things."

Frowning, trying to come to terms with these concepts and the mind they were emerging from, Elphaba considered the idea. "So, how do you mobilise that feeling?"

Galinda's face lit up and Elphaba felt a wave of guilt for having doubted the girl when so many others clearly did, to the point where she seemed so grateful for someone taking her seriously.

"Well I've been thinking about it, since I was at Colwen Grounds –"

She couldn't help but interrupt. "Since Colwen Grounds?"

"Yes," Galinda seemed to think that point obvious. "Since all those things you said. I was thinking about them and –"

The door creaked open slightly and then rushed closed with a bang. Elphaba glanced up sharply, immediately back on edge.

"The wind," Galinda said.

She shuffled. "I should go."

"You've only been here a few minutes!"

"Too many minutes. I have things to do."

"Oh, Elphie. Always rushing everywhere with such urgency!"

"In perpetual motion, I know. It keeps me active."

"It keeps you in excuses to always be disappearing," Galinda shot back and Elphaba couldn't help but smile at it.

"I do apologise," she said highly insincerely, causing Galinda to roll her eyes. "Busy woman and so on and so forth."

"Well, I don't want you to go. _And not just_ because the show will already have started." Galinda cleverly pre-empted any sarcasm Elphaba might have thrown at her.

That regretful feeling swept over her again. She should not be here, compromising Galinda like this. "I really should go." She pulled on the drapes at the windows and saw the night fully dark. But these windows did not face out on to the street, not from this room.

"What are you doing?" Galinda asked with no small amount of confusion.

"Just checking on something." She was all cheerfulness, suspicious in and of itself.

"Elphie what's going on? You've been quite strange today."

"For which I am terribly sorry." She said it as though she were nothing of the sort. Except she was, really. "I shouldn't have come."

"Are you –" Galinda was formulating something as she rose and headed over to the window as well. "Are you on a mission?" Her voice dropped in a way that made Elphaba want to laugh.

"Certainly not. I was merely having a quiet drink in a pub and happened to help an old gentleman with his crossword."

"You were! You? Don't you have other people for that?"

Elphaba bristled. "Why shouldn't I? Why should I ask other people to do what I will not?"

"The very concept of you sneaking about in disguise is just about the worst idea I've ever heard. You're green, Elphaba!"

"Yes, I noticed. But it also means I've become rather good at trying to blend in."

"I can't imagine you deliberately wanting to blend in." Elphaba thought Galinda sounded fond, indulgent maybe.

"We were all young and conformist once, wasting precious time caring what other people thought of us. Trying to pretend we were something we weren't. Or weren't something we were. Difference is, I grew out of it."

Galinda flinched. The softness of the moment vanished.

"I didn't mean –" Elphaba cursed herself.

"Yes, you did. It's quite alright. I know what people think of me."

"No, it's just something I notice. Humanity's capacity to delude ourselves." Those blue eyes were fairly tearing Elphaba apart. "Look, it doesn't take long of pretending something before it becomes true. Then you forget you were even pretending in the first place. That's why you need to be so careful."

Finally Galinda spoke. "I need to be careful?"

"One. One needs to be careful." She corrected herself but it wasn't a correction. That had been what she meant. She thawed. "Yes, all right, _you_. You need to be careful, Galinda. You are rather remarkable. You don't want to lose a drop of that."

"I'm not losing that." Galinda was looking at her in a way that made Elphaba feel almost queasy. "Whatever 'that' is I'm... I'm getting more of it."

There was a moment brewing, a moment where Elphaba could reveal everything. Would Galinda understand? The plans, the ambitions. The burden, that had never seemed a burden until now. The barrier, between Elphaba and everyone. To be able to talk to someone on the outside, who wasn't relying on her. To be a person, not a figurehead. A friend, not a leader. To be able to show a weakness, a doubt.

Instead she moved to the door and opened it.

"I'm sure you don't want to hear this... but please be careful?"

Elphaba nodded as she paused on the threshold. "Of course I will."

* * *

Boq was putting together the final preparations for the trip to the Munchkin villages closer to the border with Quadling Country and the south, as opposed to their usual stomping grounds in the east around Nest Hardings.

Reinforcements had arrived from Colwen Grounds in the form of Mallo, whilst Uly and several others of their usual retinue would meet them closer to their destination. They would form quite the little caravan and Boq almost looked forward to it. Once all the packing was done and arrangements made – once they were under way – he would be actually looking forward to it.

Elphie appeared from the kitchen staircase eating an apple. She wandered over to where he was stood in the hall counting the bags.

"How goes?" she enquired all too politely.

"Well enough. Have you packed your bag?"

"I'll do it later." She balanced herself against a table, unconcerned that the clock was ticking.

"So you say."

"I will!"

"If I had a brick for every time –"

"I know, I know. You'd have a palace bigger than the Wizard's."

"And if I had a drop of water for every time you interrupted me it would have a magnificent moat."

"Very nice!" she congratulated his retort. He winced as he watched her eat the very core of the apple. "It's not like I need much."

"No, but it's not like you can go borrowing anyone else's."

She shrugged.

The door bell rang. "I'll get it!" he called to avoid someone coming up from downstairs. It could only be Nessa and Nanny.

And it was. "Boq, you shouldn't do that," Nessa scolded him as he held the door for her. "Thank you."

"Perfectly all right, really. Come on Nanny, I've got it."

"Elphaba, get off my furniture," Nessa instructed as she entered the house properly.

Boq watched Elphie slide off petulantly to lean against the wall, one booted foot raised flat against it. It was compromise enough.

"When are you leaving again?" Nessa shot her a look but turned sweetly to Boq.

"Soon, I promise."

"Take her off to Quadling Country where her manners might just about fit in..." Nessa was saying.

"My manners? We both more or less grew up there." Even as she entered a new round of this strange debating-baiting-teasing habit the sisters had with each other Elphie held open the door of the sitting room with one hand so that Nessa could go through.

"Oh for Oz's sake, stop being so irritable," Nessa said, which surely they all knew was about as likely as Elphie stopping breathing. "Come in and have some tea you both."

They obeyed.

Nessa grumbled on, "Tramping through the mud to rally them to your cause. Really, Elphie, how is it you differ from Papa?"

Elphie bashed at, rather than plumped, a cushion to tuck behind Nessa as she guided her down. "From you, you mean?"

"If you like." Nessa settled herself, Elphaba sat at the other end of the sofa. Boq took a nearby chair to observe.

"It's a bit more realistic. Munchkinland's fate lies with us all, not with the Unnamed God. Neither religion nor politics can mean much unless people are persuaded how these things will change their lives now, how they affect them and their families."

He rather liked that. Obviously a new angle of rhetoric Elphie was developing.

"Everything lies with the Unnamed God." Nessa's tone was pious, which she must know would only aggravate Elphie.

"If that were the case why does it require so much interference from you?"

"If you think I am going to stand idly by and watch this degeneration you are quite wrong."

At first glance Elphie looked thoroughly disinterested. She lounged horizontal off the sofa and picked at a thread of wool coming out of her sleeve. Boq knew better. "At best I would hope that all this fatalism about destiny would render a body apathetic but it only makes people more zealous. Why is that?"

"It's not fatalism, it's trust. You should try it sometime."

Boq watched the exchange between the two, focussing on the space between them so as to avoid straining his neck glancing back and forth.

"Never. And you've not answered my question. Why campaign so hard for something that is fated?"

"You know these answers, Elphie, you are just trying to upset me and I shall not be upset." Despite that she certainly sounded increasingly upset.

"What is so wrong with wanting a justification out of you? You advocate secession and the ripping apart of Oz, why should I not be able to question you?"

"As with many – if not most – in fact if not all – issues clearly we are not going to reconcile over this. The will of the Unnamed God or, if you like, the people, shall triumph. Let us see where we are all left standing then."

Elphie scowled as Nessa had Nanny help her up to leave the room.

Boq didn't want to let the silence sit for long. "That was good, that, about the families and stuff."

"Do you think?" she asked, distracted, not having quite moved on from the previous argument. "It's Galinda's."

"Galinda?" he choked. "Lady Chuffrey, Galinda?"

"Yes. That was what I thought. At first. She was... intriguing."

"When was this?"

"The other day, when I was late back. I lost a tail by ducking in to her club and we had a chat."

"A tail? Her club? A chat?"

"Yes, yes and yes," she said, answering him literally though that was very much not his point. "We talked about politics and secession and about our trip to the borders."

"You told Lady Chuffrey?"

"Just in general. No details." Elphaba continued to pick at her sleeve, not concentrating on him.

"Don't you think, Elphie... I know you said not to bring her in, but what is she? You've never had just plain friends. For exactly this reason. Is she involved? Or is she not?"

"She is a curious case," was all Elphie provided, infuriatingly.

"And what benefit does she get?"

"I don't know, Boq! Oz forfend maybe she enjoys my company!" If she had refused to make eye contact before she had no such qualms about facing him down now.

Clearly this was a bad time to be broaching the subject with Elphie already so riled up. He couldn't help himself though. "Should we maybe have someone follow her? Make enquiries in to her business? Then we could be sure."

She looked aghast. "Absolutely not." Elphaba shot from her seat, at the door in just a moment, slamming it and leaving... well, she cared not what, in her wake.

He sighed and hoped that if she was going to storm off to her room she might at least do some packing.


	5. Chapter 5

Elphaba cursed as the carriage bumped over potholes and missing bricks. The road was bad where it snaked away from the main branch heading deeper in to Munchkinland. It had taken them a two weeks to get this far south, going much slower than the road that wound its way east. The road to show dominion over the provinces. Once built and authority asserted it had been allowed to go to ruin. Her great grandfather had organised gangs to break it up, saboteurs working at night. It was as if parts here had never been repaired. Just one mark of the previous Eminence's legacy, they had him to thank for their aching bones.

The carriage slowed and Boq moved to the window. "We're here."

"Excellent. Another night in a dusty inn with my feet hanging off the end of the bed."

"It's that or the hayloft," he pointed out.

"Might as well be in the hayloft for the way they stuff those mattresses." To her disappointment Boq failed to engage. "What is it? You've become quite humourless."

"I'm just worried, that's all." He opened the door and jumped out.

Elphaba followed in a more complicated collection of limbs, scowling. "And I thought I'd been very good. I've not stepped on any toes."

"Yet. From personal experience I can tell you it very much hurts when you step on delicate Munchkin toes."

"Poor tiny things," she sympathised entirely unsympathetically.

"Just tread carefully."

"No feet, indeed," she agreed.

More carriages from their party were pulling up as they made their way down the single street towards the most civic looking building they saw. Elphaba entered and an entire room of over a hundred Munchkins swivelled round to stare at her in absolute silence. So silent she could hear Boq gulping.

The man at the front of the room, on a small platform, weighed down by a gold chain, stepped forward at the same time as Elphaba did.

"I am the Eminent Thropp, from Nest Hardings –"

"Your Eminence –"

They both paused. "I did write," Boq piped up, a certain squeakiness to his voice. The mayor bore more than a passing resemblance to his father so that even Elphaba, who had only met Bfee a handful of times, could recognise it. Fathers were something of a traumatic issue around Colwen Grounds.

The mayor looked harassed as he continued, "Obviously we are honoured by a visit from her Eminence –"

"No we're not." He was interrupted.

"You will have respect!" the mayor admonished and gestured peevishly in to the crowd.

"No, it's all right," Elphaba said.

"We can come back at a more convenient time," Boq said, to no response.

"I will talk if the green queen will allow it." A young Munchkin stood up and turned to face her. The whole room rippled as it turned from looking at him to back at Elphaba.

"It's not for me to allow or disallow anything. You are your own person in your own village."

He was not mollified by her words. "Indeed I am. We don't need you here. Got troubles enough of our own."

"What troubles? Perhaps we can help."

The mayor opened his mouth but the dissenter stepped in to the aisle. "Don't tell her, you old fool."

"That's enough from you Anins!" the mayor finally asserted. "I'm a justice of the peace, I'll have you thrown in the cells!"

"Let's not be unreasonable," Boq intervened. Elphaba however was happy to stand back and let the little drama unfold. She tried to swat Boq back without success.

"Throw _them_ in the cells," someone else called out. "They've come to disturb the peace!"

"I assure you we have not," Boq told the mayor. Elphaba would have made no such assurance. Still, this was much more exciting than the dinners attended and council meetings sat in on elsewhere. She could have rubbed her hands with glee, but resisted the impulse as inappropriate. That felt astonishingly like tact and she made note to tell Boq about it later.

"The way things are around here," the mayor attempted to explain, "we're all feeling rather in favour of secession at the moment."

"Jobs for Munchkins!" shouted someone from the side of the room. A sea of faces turned again.

"They think they can just march in here!" Anins said.

"We're not marching anywhere," Boq placated. Indeed not, Elphaba mused. They were being spectacularly rolled around instead.

His opponent snorted. "Not _you_. The Gale Force."

This engaged her rather more, just as Anins was being elbowed by a friend. "What's this?"

Realising Anins had given his own game away, and was now berating himself, the mayor took charge again. "There's a small hamlet over the hill. Part of town really. We had a letter, saying it was to be cleared."

"Cleared? A polite euphemism. When will this be?"

"Tonight. The militia are on their way."

"Is it the Gale Force or the army?" she asked, a tone in her voice that made people look at her with worry. "Which? Which is it?"

He paused for a moment. "The army. It was the army."

"That's better. That's good," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. "They have some semblance of detachment still. The Gale Force is entirely the Wizard's. Listen!" she straightened up. "This won't end with secession. In that case it just becomes all out war."

With great speed Boq shot out an arm, inclining her downwards. "Elphaba... what are you doing?"

She leant in. "What say we stay, keep an eye on this?"

"As purely impartial observers, no doubt?"

"I'll take that as a yes." Poor Boq shook his head. But in despair, not disagreement.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked the crowd as a whole.

The mayor looked helpless. "There's nothing we can do."

"I know what you think of us." Anins looked helpless in a different way, more frustrated. She decided she liked this young man, that he would make a fine addition to all her other young men. He continued, "You think we're weak because we don't fight back. When you spend fourteen hours a day scraping in those fields there's nothing left of you. There's no fight in you. You've never done that. You don't know."

"I haven't done it and I don't know. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. Here's what I can do though: I can pay for irrigation schemes. I can bring in experts – Boq here, he studied agriculture – for efficiency. I can get the landowners off your backs, renegotiate debts, fix the road so you can transport your goods easier."

"Charity! We don't need your charity. Or to be bought off for fighting your fights."

"It is my fight, but that's not to say it isn't yours, also."

"But why don't you support secession?" someone asked.

"Jobs for Munchkins in Munchkinland, perhaps. Doesn't anyone here have family in the Emerald City? Working in Gillikinese households? How would secession affect them? If all the Gillikinese took that attitude and Munchkinlanders could no longer work there?"

"We're farmers," Anins said. "We don't want to go to the Emerald City, we don't want any of that."

Elphaba became animated, a genuine excitement running through her. "The Emerald City stands in the centre of this web. Your landlords, the exporters and importers, the money men: they are the connection between your farms and the Palace. They don't give you a voice there and the Hall of Approval was dismantled years ago. Your representation is flimsy at best. Start cleaving off bits of Oz and there's less clout, not more."

She willed them to understand, to care. Everyone was silent and she couldn't quite tell why. She took a plunge, a last ditch attempt. "The Wizard has decided that the houses of your fellow citizens stand in the way of some plan he or his cronies have made. Some dam someone wants to build, some road they want to lay, some mine they want to drill. They want to kick people out of their homes and they think you will take it because you are too preoccupied, too small-minded.

"But listen. They've already done for the Animals. The Quadlings have been more or less subservient for decades. I will not let that happen to Munchkinland. I will not let that happen to anyone. We draw a line. We draw a line at Munchkinland. Then we push and we push and we fight them back. We fight until we have the Quadlings and we have the Animals and everyone has the Oz they deserve."

Her voice had been so steady, so low, she was sure that the first row before her could barely have heard. But the cheers that erupted went right back through the room.

* * *

By the time Galinda disembarked from her carriage the place was already in uproar. The driver had a look of terror in his eyes.

"I won't stay," he said shakily.

"Very well." She could not rally an objection and left him to gallop away.

Marching directly in to the nearest building she demanded, "Where is the Eminent Thropp?"

The innkeeper was stunned. "She's gone to help with the evacuation. Lady, you need to stay inside." Galinda had gone already, leaving only a small satchel of luggage.

The village was close to chaos. Though not quite. People ran about, holding armfuls of possessions but there was a method to the madness. Galinda recognised some of Elphaba's group from Colwen Grounds chaperoning some retreating villagers and helping them bar up their cottage doors.

It was both an evacuation and a preparation for battle. Galinda was not impressed. She struggled to spot Boq or Mallo or anyone she knew who would recognise her and could get her to Elphaba but in fact it was Elphaba who spotted her.

"Galinda?" she heard, and there Elphie was. Looking vastly unimpressed. She thrust the note she was carrying at her companion and instructed him to take it to the town hall before turning back.

Whatever she had thought she might say ended up being, "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Me?" Elphaba choked on it. "What are _you_ doing here?" Elphie seemed more concerned about Galinda specifically, rather than their being situated on what was about to turn in to a battlefield.

"Why do you have to be here? Can't you marshal from a place of safety?"

"Why are you here at all?" Elphaba seized Galinda's shoulders and started moving her backwards. "The army will be here in moments and we are trying to evacuate, not draw a crowd of tourists."

"I thought I might help." But Elphaba looked beside herself with what Galinda could only assume was anger. What was she supposed to say? I was just passing, thought I would look in? _I came for you?_

"You want to help, Lady Chuffrey, you go back to the Emerald City and have a charity ball or something."

"That's uncalled for."

"Maybe. If it is I am very sorry. I cannot do this now. We need to get people to safety and then stand against these troops."

"No, you don't. Elphie, there must be a better way. A safer way, for everyone."

"These people are about to lose their homes," Elphaba said furiously, still marching Galinda away briskly.

"But not their lives! If you fight..."

Elphaba's brows knotted. Galinda thought she might have scored a point. Except at that moment a shout went up. They were by now a good distance from the first row of cottages but it was clear the army had arrived. Bellowed orders made their way on the wind. Then the crack of a gun shot.

Elphaba almost picked her up so forcefully was she propelled a dozen steps to behind a chicken coop.

"Now hold on just a clock tick –" Galinda was about to make an excellently reasoned point as to the insanity of this all. She took a step forward.

"Damn you Lady!" Elphaba cried with a warrior-like call. "Just get out of here!"

Galinda did. That had been a rather firm instruction.

After a few steps she stopped and turned to look after Elphaba who had taken off back in to the fray, running entirely the wrong way as far as Galinda was concerned. Up ahead a lot of people were making their way in the opposite direction, as Galinda had been told to. And there was Elphaba, going against the tide.

Beyond the cottages was a peppering round of gunfire. Galinda flinched as she watched Elphaba running in to it. Another round, another flinch. This time Elphaba flinched too.

There was no-one around now but something was definitely wrong. Elphie had stopped and taken a step back, looking down at herself.

She just stood. She looked puzzled more than anything else as she put a hand to her side and brought it back up to look at. Even Galinda could see it was covered in blood. Even in the dimming light, even with the distance, even against green skin. Elphaba had been shot.

"Elphie!" Galinda imagined it would be a scream but it was actually nothing more than a whisper.

Galinda broke cover. This seemed insane. If the shooter was an assassin bent on killing off the Eminent Thropp there was going to be another crack because Elphaba was still very much alive and was now looking very much annoyed.

"Elphie!"

Elphaba seemed surprised to see her. "Get back," she growled. She was clutching her side but Galinda could see blood bubbling from between her fingers.

"You're hurt." She reached out to Elphaba's shoulder. It must have been bad because Elphie didn't pull away, in fact she used her free arm to prop herself up against Galinda.

"It's not safe," Elphaba almost pleaded. "You have to go."

"I can see it's not safe. Stop arguing with me!" Galinda looked wildly around for someone who could help. There was no-one. Everyone had either run or was busy fighting. "Don't you have bodyguards or something? What kind of leader are you?"

Elphaba laughed but it made her cough. She slumped against Galinda, who couldn't hold her and had to sink to the floor. She clutched Elphie to her, almost worried she might try to get up and run back off again.

"What is it?" That was a daft question, she knew. She just hadn't known exactly what to say in these circumstances. She imagined the scathing reply that might come. It didn't.

"My ribs," Elphaba did indeed try to get up again but fell back wincing. "Has it gone through?"

Galinda looked at Elphie's back but she was still perfectly intact. "No. Is that good or bad?"

"Not sure. Don't know why I ask. Just out of a morbid curiosity. No matter." Elphie was holding her side, still trying to staunch the relentless blood that was quickly getting everywhere.

"What should I do? Where is everyone?"

"Probably slacking off down the pub. You should go too. You'll get your dress dusty. Plus, well, bloody." Elphaba dissolved in to coughing some more and the pressure on her ribs was obviously causing her pain every time she did.

Heavens! What was she supposed to do? Elphaba was no help. And Galinda was woefully unprepared for rioting and gunfights.

"Let me go and find someone," Galinda offered. It seemed the only sensible thing to do. But who, and where?

"No," Elphaba said gruffly. "You can't go wandering about. If you won't go to the town hall you can stay here at least."

They huddled together, listening to the sounds of the fight going on. There was no more gunfire but the unmistakeable whooshing and crackling sound of a thatched roof on fire along with indecipherable shouting. Elphie was getting fidgety though.

"I can't sit around here," Elphaba protested. "I have to go and sort this mess out."

"You'll do no such thing! Elphie, you're hurt."

"I'm perfectly all right," Elphaba admonished. "It's just a cough."

She coughed again and dark blood appeared on Galinda's shoulder. "Very well, it's a cough caused by my lungs filling with blood. You needn't be so distressed." This was really quite dire.

"Elphaba, stop it," Galinda sobbed.

"Where's that wretched Boq when I finally need him?" Elphaba was twisting around in Galinda's arms looking for him.

"Elphie, please!" Galinda begged. "Don't excite yourself!"

"I exist in a permanent state of excitement. Hadn't you noticed? I had thought that was one of the things you liked about me."

That was so very true. "But Elphie you're dying."

"I have no intention of doing any such thing." She was coughing more now, her breath ragged.

Galinda wiped away the blood with her handkerchief and smoothed the hair from Elphaba's face. She looked around the area distractedly but all was still in uproar and yet strangely desolate.

Elphaba did the same. "What are these nincompoops up to? Honestly," she broke off to heave more blood from her lungs. "You can't leave them alone for two clock ticks without all hell breaking loose."

She pushed her legs ineffectually against the dusty ground. "Help me up," she instructed Galinda.

"You can't! I can't. Please stay still, you're just making it worse."

A figure was looming, running through the smoke and the evening light. Galinda called out to him but he didn't seem to hear. Elphaba looked cross and tried to get to her feet. Unable to move she stuck out a leg and tripped him up. From his new vantage point on the floor he looked fearfully up at the Eminence, all bloody and green and propped up in Galinda's arms.

"You!" He was addressed. "Stop running about."

Galinda watched, terrified on his behalf. The poor boy had been forcibly stopped from running about already.

"What's happening?"

His eyes brightened. "There were too many of us. They can't do it. They're trying to torch the houses. But we won't let them."

Galinda felt Elphaba relax, the tension that was holding her rigid disappeared.

"Fetch me someone from Colwen Grounds."

He nodded, scrambled to his feet and ran off. Galinda hoped in the right direction.

Elphaba coughed again, they were wet spluttering coughs now, and tried to better sit herself up in Galinda's arms, still with the force of mind to be pressing down on her wound.

"Elphie, darling," Galinda was trying to be as sympathetic as possible with the dying woman but she was just so unreasonable. "You don't have to organise everyone."

"Mallo!" Elphaba yelled as she spotted him wandering through the cottages. He looked around, then down and horror crept over his face.

"Elphaba! We've been looking for you. By the Unnamed God!"

"Control yourself," Elphaba said grumpily. "I don't need you in hysterics as well."

"We need to get you to the infirmary."

"Yes!" Galinda interjected.

"That would be a nice idea but what the hell is going on here?"

"I think we won," he said, dazed, not sounding entirely convinced. "I think they've gone but with the fires and the injured and the people are scared..." He trailed off and seemed to notice Galinda for the first time, despite the fact she was entirely wrapped around the woman he had been speaking to.

"Lady Chuffrey? What are you doing here?"

Elphaba groaned. Galinda looked worriedly back at her but it wasn't with whatever pain she must be feeling rather at her dislike for small talk and feeling there were more pressing matters to be attending to. Though she probably didn't even mean herself.

"Sorry," Mallo apologised. "I'm going to fetch a stretcher."

That seemed to Galinda like the most sensible thing that had been said thus far.

"Get the fires out!" Elphaba called after him. "Take the others to the infirmary first!"

"Don't you dare!" Galinda shouted her counter-instruction.

That made Elphaba laugh again, except now it was a strange breathless huffing thing.

Galinda rolled Elphaba round so that she was lying in her arms and hopefully less inclined to be giving instructions. There was sweat beading on her forehead that Galinda dabbed at with her now disgusting handkerchief. But where her fingers scraped Elphie's face it was freezing. She dropped the hanky and laid a palm to Elphaba's cheek.

"Elphie you're ice cold!" she cried, rubbing at Elphaba's arm.

"Don't let them put me in a hot bath," Elphaba joked. Her voice was undeniably weaker and she was shivering.

"Shh, please, Elphie..." Galinda felt quite beside herself. It was awful, this terror. She stroked Elphie's cheek to reassure herself the girl was still there. "Hold out, you know you can, hold out, sweetheart."

"You're the one doing all the holding..." Elphaba noted, lips grey and a new dangerous drowsiness in her voice.

"Yes," Galinda said with a little laugh through her tears. "And if you don't shut up and stay awake and just generally behave yourself I'll be leaving you here."

"What's the point of staying quiet if you're awake? If you're awake you have to speak."

"Just because you –" Galinda was halfway through another witty retort, another volley, when she thought maybe this was more than Elphaba just being obtuse and infuriating. Her hand had slipped from her side and her head had leaned further in to Galinda's chest.

"Elphie?" Galinda gave her a little shake. "Elphaba?"

Lurline, were those last words? Trust Galinda to completely miss the point. But they couldn't be, they couldn't be. Galinda let out another sob and pulled Elphaba closer, now completely limp in her arms. "Elphie, please...Elphie, don't..."

"Elphaba!" A cry from further away drew Galinda's attention. Her tear stained face looked up to see Boq who was stock still, frozen in his fear. It only took a second for him to snap out of it and come running, stretcher bearers behind him. To Galinda it felt like forever.

* * *

As much as Boq was fighting – well, scrapping, in all honesty – for his life he had a niggling wonderment as to where Elphie was. She never turned up to face down the army so he had supposed her engaged in some mad scheme. He would not have been surprised if she had screeched down out of the sky or rode in on the back of a Lion shooting lightning from her fingertips. None of that was particularly implausible when it came to Elphaba Thropp.

She still hadn't appeared even as the army turned tail and fled. He touched a cut above his eyebrow. It had seemed inconceivable. They had won. He felt something like happiness, or relief at least. A pride at the seemingly impossible outcome.

Quickly they turned to shifting the wounded and trying to put out the fires. Despite the Gale Force being armed they had mostly just shot in to the air in an attempt to frighten them off. A few of the troops had strafed a thin line of bullets around the group and past the empty cottages.

It was still of significance. They had opened fire. The outrage had filled everyone and they had grappled hand to hand as the troops struggled to reload. The villagers flung stones from hands and from slings with amazing accuracy. Swarmed the army lines with spades and hoes, against batons. At least five of the opposition were being taken to the village infirmary now the fight was done and several more had been dragged off by their own side.

He thought it a rather lucky escape. He thought they had done well. And yet where was Elphie?

His first instinct had been to join the line passing buckets of water up and down to douse the fires. But he had the presence of mind to recognise himself as nominally in charge and took a more directorial role.

Mallo found his side. "Where is she?" Boq whispered urgently to him, which Mallo took as the instruction it sort of had been and went off in search.

The fires were being dampened and Boq helped put the last of the injured on to stretchers for the infirmary. He took hold of one of the poles, deciding he should head to the town hall and see what needed to be done there.

Just outside the building Mallo crashed in to Boq as he had been running to the infirmary. "I've found her!" he panted. "We need a stretcher."

Boq felt her his heart stop for a moment. A stretcher? That did not sound good.

"Where is she?"

"Behind the cottages."

What? How? Why? Boq left the questions to later. Following Mallo and the stretcher Boq took off at a run back in the direction he had come, stopping to gather more help on the way.

The moment Boq saw her his heart stopped again. He skidded to the floor on his knees next to her. His eyes widened at the sight of all the blood and he quickly discerned where it was coming from. Elphie looked pale and slumped. He put his hand to her throat but wasn't sure.

"She was shouting at me a few minutes ago," Mallo offered. That seemed perfectly likely but she wasn't shouting at anyone right now, much as Boq wished she would.

"Is she..?" It was Lady Chuffrey holding Elphaba in her arms. That was a bit of a turn up for the books. How had she got mixed up in this? There was no time.

"I don't know." He wasn't a doctor, he didn't know. He didn't want to know.

With the stretcher on the floor he and Mallo dragged Elphaba on to it with little tenderness and great speed.

Lady Chuffrey cried out and extended an arm, fingers grasping. But they were away, racing across the village towards the infirmary at the Town Hall. It took four of them to carry the stretcher in an ungainly hopping run.

Where the devil had she been? And what about Lady Chuffrey? If Boq had had the puff in him to spare he would have sworn there would be answers from that woman. But he didn't have the breath or, really, the heart, to do so.

Entering the town hall they took a sharp right to the medical wing. Boq burst through the doors of the infirmary. A disoriented nurse turned towards him. The ward was full; thick with the smell of blood and smoke, sweat and fear.

"It's her Eminence," Boq said to him quickly. "We need a bed and a doctor. Now!" He astonished himself, he really did. Who knew he had it in him? Certainly not he himself.

The nurse led them quickly to a bed on the far side of the room. They passed other people, villagers sat on the floor. There had been a throng of people waiting whereas they had just flown in. Elphaba was not going to be happy with him. A ruthless streak had emerged and it was for her benefit, so she would just have to cope or choke. He was not going to join a queue with her very possibly dying on a stretcher, no matter what she might say about it.

He turned to the others and gave quick instructions. He would stay with Elphie. He probably shouldn't, he should probably cede control and go and be useful for the greater good and all that. But he couldn't.

Elphaba was shifted on to the bed. She was paler than he had ever seen her, a sort of grey-green effect. He was sure he heard her mumble at the jostling and put himself closer.

"Elphie? Elphie, can you hear me?"

"You _are_ shouting right in my ear," she said, coughing blood on him. He felt weak at the knees.

"Oh, you're all right," he said mostly to himself. "You're all right!"

The doctor looked at him sharply. Maybe not, he thought. The doctor tried to pull up Elphie's dress, which brought her further back around and caused an inevitable struggle as she tried to prevent him. "Just cut it!" Elphie snarled. "You need the wound not the full package."

"We have to get the bullet out," the doctor said, seemingly ignoring her but reaching for his scissors. He cut a wide hole but left her modesty intact.

Boq could hardly recognise what he was looking at. The whole of her side was a mess of dark blood, some congealing but some still on the move. Not in a torrent but more like belching eruptions, a huge gloop at a time. It coincided with her breathing he realised, the shuddering breaths she was taking, breathing deep but seeming only to inhale shallowly.

Whilst he was staring down at her side she reached up and smacked his face. "Eyes," she menaced. It was a pitiful slap though, little more than a knock. And she knew it. He smiled at her as she coughed some more, blood dribbling down her chin.

The doctor was on the move again. "No injections," Elphie warned.

"Fine. No anaesthetic." The doctor seemed to take a perverse amusement in that. Instead of anaesthetic he just poured rubbing alcohol all over the wound, making her hiss. He turned grimly to Boq and the nurses. "Hold her down."

Boq gulped. This was not going to be fun. He and the nurse seized an arm each, another orderly held her legs. Just one? Boq thought. Going to need more than that. He winced, not in preparation for Elphie's pain but his own.

He'd seen her smash a man's nose at Shiz, a drunken brawl one night in the pub. Well, not her drunkenness. She wasn't even drunk, just got stuck in about something. He couldn't quite remember what had happened. There was a vague recollection of Avaric insulting someone and a fight breaking out. Although that wasn't an uncommon occurrence. Had it been that time? Would Elphaba have waded in to a fight for Avaric's sake? Or would she have watched from the sidelines, laughing in to a beer that never seemed to have any effect on her?

Why was he thinking about this? What did it matter? Panic was taking hold.

The scalpel glinted merrily as it cut in to the mess of green flesh around the wound.

Elphaba cried out, more in outrage than pain. Boq did not envy the poor man his job. But she was not thrashing about as much as she might. He had envisaged broken jaws and all sorts. Because she's so weak, he realised. Because she can't.

"She's out!" announced the nurse opposite him.

He looked up worriedly.

"Passed out. From the pain, I expect," the nurse explained briefly. Pain? Until today he had never considered the possibility she would even feel pain. It just seemed so foreign a concept in relation to her. So unbecoming.

Boq looked down. She was worryingly still, grey and cold. Quite unlike herself in the way that dead people looked, with their souls having departed, missing whatever it was that made them _them_. That was how she looked. But by her own decree then she would look the same as normal, allegedly not having a soul. He would never tell her but he didn't believe that. Not at all.

"She's not..?"

The nurse held on to her arm and felt at her wrist. "No. Not quite."

Boq gulped again. Then he looked down at the doctor's work. And promptly passed out.

It was only a moment later when he came back round, propped up against a leg of Elphie's bed, his collar being held by the nurse.

"Hang in there," the nurse said.

Boq nodded. As he looked around trying to pull himself up he saw thick bubbling blood running down the leg of the bed and pooling on the floor. He vomited. Then passed out.

This time he came around positioned further away and with his back to Elphie's bed. Someone was saying something about compressions and then there was a terrible thumping noise and the springs of the bed rattling.

Boq put his head in his hands. He didn't turn around.


	6. Chapter 6

After a lifetime in which Boq felt he had grown old and grey the doctor put a hand on his shoulder. The room had grown quiet, the walking wounded had been patched up and either sent home or hurried back there to see to the aftermath. A few more serious injuries lay in their beds. He got off the cot and turned around.

"Her Eminence has lost a lot of blood. A lot."

Boq knew that. He had seen it.

The doctor was still talking, reeling off horrifying injuries as though they were a shopping list. "A rib was shattered by the bullet which then went in to the lung, part of which we had to remove. But the bullet is out and she is patched up. We've done everything we can and will just have to wait for her to wake up to assess the rest of the damage."

His mind reeled. "When?"

"No need to worry unless it turns to more than a few days."

Boq nodded, feebly. Elphie was not going to be happy about this.

He glanced over at her lying in bed. She wasn't asleep but unconscious: flat out and still as the grave. The few times he had ever seen her sleeping – and she had not been happy about the intrusion, as she saw it – she still looked ready for action. Poised. Coiled like a spring. She slept lightly and little, he knew as much just from sharing a house with her. He wasn't sure how long he could cope without her interruptions or bossing. It all just felt horribly wrong.

"She, erm, her Eminence, wouldn't want to be so... exposed. Can that curtain be pulled round?"

"I'll get an orderly to sort it as soon as they can. Did you want to see her?"

Boq could see quite enough from here. More than he wanted to. It was an unsettling sight, made him feel sick. And what would he do anyway? Look? She wouldn't have wanted him to and he didn't want to see her like that. He swallowed. "No." He tore his eyes away. "No, there are things I need to do. She would want me to..."

The doctor looked at him with disdain, Boq felt. "Where will you be?"

"Hm?" He had not succeeded in keeping his eyes away. "Oh, I'll have to, um, find a room here. Get some people together."

"We'll send an orderly if anything happens."

"Anything... happens?"

"If the Eminent Thropp's condition deteriorates. You do want to be informed?"

"Of course," Boq said quietly. "Of course." He left.

As soon as he got through the main doors he was set upon. "Boq!" It was Lady Chuffrey and she clutched at him rather insistently. "Boq, what's happening?"

"What?" His head swam, he couldn't focus.

"To Elphaba! Oh Boq, please. Is she dead?" The look on her face was of sheer terror. "I don't know what's going on and they won't let me in and..." she stopped only to sob in to her hands.

"No-one told you?" The poor thing. Any questions evaporated. He had found her clinging on to Elphie like her life depended on it, the only one of the lot actually to be there when Elphie needed someone for quite possibly the first time ever. And now she was out here, scared and alone.

She read something in to his hesitance and generally fatigued countenance that he had not intended. She was stepping backward. "No..." she whispered. "No, she can't be..."

"No!" he cried. "She's not dead. She's not well but she's not dead. My Lady, please –"

He grabbed at her and angled her over a chair so should she slip or fall she would not have to go far. Delicately, as though in a ballet, she lowered herself down. He sat next to her, turning towards her. "Lady Chuffrey, are you hurt?" She was covered in blood and seemed very far away.

"No," she said quietly. Then looked down at herself. "It's Elphaba's." She recovered herself. "You are quite sure she is alright? Can I – I wonder if I could, no – but she's all right?"

He paid no attention to her half-formed request. "Not all right, as such. She's sleeping, now. Well, in a coma, I suppose. She lost a lot of blood."

Lady Chuffrey nodded. A good deal of it was soaked in to her own dress and covering her arms.

"It took too long to get to her."

Lady Chuffrey just nodded again. But then she had been there. She knew.

"They took out the bullet. She was not happy about that."

"She was awake?"

"Long enough to chuck a few insults about. Then she fell back. I never thought I would be sad to see her just stay quiet for a few moments." His hand was taken in Lady Chuffrey's own. He didn't know why she was there, but he was glad of it.

"Between the lack of oxygen and the lack of blood... when she wakes up..." He remembered the doctor's last words about being informed and he shuddered. "If she wakes up... we'll just have to see how she is."

He looked at her trying to be so brave and comfort him. He felt awful. "I'm sorry. Someone should have told you. I should have found you to tell you."

"You were worried about her."

"Yes." It was so much more. "I don't know what I'd do," he started out, his voice sounding almost normal as if he were pondering the weather before it inevitably broke. "I don't know what I'd do, without her. I know what _to_ do, she has plans and all sorts for any eventuality and I know her mind well enough.

"But without her... it's not just about the cause, see. I know it should be. It's about her as well. It would be quite possible not to give a fig about the fight and fight it anyway, for her. She makes you believe. You want to believe. So in her plans... well, she thinks it doesn't matter who is organising things. But it does. None of this would exist without her."

Now he had made Lady Chuffrey cry. Though he felt better for having said something out loud. "I'm sorry,"

"Have you a hanky?" she sniffed. "Mine got rather soiled."

"Of course." He handed it over and waited for her to recover herself.

"That was beautiful," she eventually said. "Do you think she has even the slightest inkling of how people feel about her? Before I met her there was only cruel gossip but it was from the twits in the City. Since then there's been nothing but this respect. A love, of a sort. Even while they moan about her, even while they complain about her manners, her bossiness, her arrogance. And they are right to," she pointed out, making them both smile. "She leaves a lot to be desired. But she is I think the most interesting and inspiring person I have ever come across. I don't think she knows that."

"I don't think she wants to know that," added Boq, rather wishing he had his hanky back as he felt he had urgent need for it. He resolved not to weep in front of Lady Chuffrey, who was being so strange and wonderful. "She would hate it."

"Yes, there is that." Her tone was almost light and they both almost laughed. Almost.

Boq stood. "Lady Chuffrey, you need some clean clothes and refreshments. We are setting up shop in one of the workrooms and you would be more than welcome to join us once you are feeling better."

He offered his arm. She looked hesitantly towards the door of the infirmary.

"They will fetch me," he said gently. "And I will not go anywhere without you."

"Thank you, Master Boq." She rose and took his arm.

After dropping off Lady Chuffrey with a helpful lady porter Boq managed to find Mallo running about. He commandeered a room and people started gravitating towards it for some sort of action and organisation. They managed to track down most of the group that had come from Colwen Grounds and had a few useful villagers to help preparing casualty and damage reports.

They assembled, sombre, dirty and bruised. Boq stood.

"This changes things." Everyone looked at him. "What happened here – a normal village fighting back – is important." End of speech. He knew Elphie would have had said something better. More rousing.

"We need to move on this," Boq muttered to Mallo. "Before the propaganda engine kicks in. We need to get in there first."

Mallo nodded. "I'll find the nearest printing press. But what do we say? I mean, about Elphaba?"

He pulled at his chin. "Nothing. Nothing yet."

Boq allowed himself a moment to sink in to a chair. It was not so bad. As in, it could have been a lot worse. He went to run his hands through his hair but there were streaks of blood. He thought he might vomit again.

"You're grey," Mallo offered unhelpfully.

"As long as it's not permanent."

"How is she?"

"We'll see," was all he could say. He didn't feel able to promise anything. Much as he wanted to.

"If she is alright," Mallo said in a gentle sort of way, trying not to be misinterpreted, though Boq felt he understood, "it may turn out to have been for the better; that they didn't see her."

That was Lady Chuffrey's influence. "I don't understand," he moaned.

At which point Lady Chuffrey herself entered the room, drawing everyone's attention. The sight of her reactivated his sympathies and Boq left the table to approach her. "Is everything all right, Lady Chuffrey?" She looked better. Well, clean. That helped. Her dress had been replaced with a simple blue one and her hair was wrapped up in a scarf.

"Yes, thank you, Master Boq. Except..." she lowered her voice. "I think you should not call me Lady Chuffrey. I shouldn't be here, but I am. So we could at least draw as little attention to that as possible. Just call me Galinda. Better yet: Glinda, in public."

That made a lot of sense. Here was another little rebel, someone else who was risking everything. For what?

"Do you have everything you need?" He didn't use the name, not yet. He thought he might just avoid it for a while longer.

"I am quite all right. I want to help. Is there anything I can do?"

"You should go home," he said kindly. "You shouldn't have been here in the first place."

"Yet I am here. And I am staying. You might as well use me."

Someone had been spending a lot of time with Elphaba. What was going on? Defeated he said, "Of course."

He was about to sit her with some list or some such when an orderly from the infirmary came in, holding a message. Boq took it, his hand trembling as he looked down at the piece of paper. "It's Elphaba."

He took off at a run towards the door with Lady Chuffrey – Galinda – Glinda – right behind.

"What does it say?" she panted.

"Just to come."

They careered down the stairwell and through the corridor to the imposing doors of the medical ward. He turned to her.

"Wait here," he said, not knowing what spectacle would be found. "I will come and get you in a moment. I promise."

She was not happy, but complied.

He pushed open the door and stepped in tentatively. Everything seemed more or less as it had. The curtain had _not_ been put around Elphie's bed. The doctor and nurse bent over her. His heart lurched.

As he got closer he saw that Elphie seemed to be wriggling about. He wound his way round the beds. She began to rouse and groggily raised herself on an elbow. "Where am I?"

The nurse looked up and caught Boq's eye before he turned back to her. "You're safe," he told her with the kind of voice reserved for infants.

Boq was nearly there.

"Safety is a state of being, not a location," he heard Elphie pointing out.

Boq breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh sweet Lurline! It's all right, she's fine."

"Your Eminence," the poor nurse was grappling with her. "You must lie down, you've been through a terrible trauma."

"Not as terrible as the things I'm going to do to you all if you don't let me get up!"

Boq made it to the bed. "Elphie!" he breathed, almost reaching out to touch her.

"Thought I was dead, did you? Sorry to disappoint."

"Just shut up," he told her, improbably. Even more improbably he threw his arms around her.

He didn't even let her go when she shouted, "Unhand me you great dolt!" It was only medical intervention that made him release his grasp.

"Her Eminence has suffered a serious injury," the doctor said as much to Elphie herself as to Boq. "Though her recovery looks so far to be nothing short of miraculous I will not have anyone jeopardising it. Her Eminence will rest. You will leave."

"Hear that?" Elphie was crowing. "Miracle. Wouldn't Nessie just spit."

"Lie down Miss Thropp!" the doctor snapped.

Boq giggled. Then moved quickly away.

"I'll have a little nap but then I want to know exactly what is going on," Elphie instructed him.

"See you soon then. Rest well, Elphie."

Boq near enough skipped back out of the room. He got out of the doors and exhaled loudly.

"What is it?" It was Lady Chuffrey, still here in her vigil.

He felt euphoric. "Elphie is near enough invincible. She's terrorising the staff as we speak."

Galinda's hand came to rest on her heart and she looked so relieved. Then started to cry. All very interesting, Boq thought.

* * *

Galinda sat in the corridor with Boq for an hour before Elphaba – who was supposed to be resting – started kicking up so much fuss that Boq was allowed in to see her and give a quick debrief.

After that she was desperate to go in. Desperate and terrified. There had been plenty of time to imagine all the awful things that could happen. Evidently that was not the case.

Even so Galinda had been expecting to see an invalid. That's what you found in hospitals: invalids. People who had been shot and unconscious and so on were generally invalids. As soon as she laid eyes on Elphie though Galinda realised the part of the formula that she had missed. This was, after all, Elphaba Thropp.

If anything she looked more alive, more radiant, more green, than before. She was not sick, pale and weak. She was invigorated and pissed off. "Hello," she said to Galinda in a funny tone of voice. "You're still here?"

"Of course I'm still here. Where would I be going? I wanted to see you. Although I rather wish I hadn't. You were shot and technically died a few hours ago yet you look like better than me after a week of the best spa in the Pertha Hills."

"Maybe it is a new procedure they can invest in."

Galinda wanted to touch her, such a strong sensation it was almost painful. She had held Elphaba so close when she feared the worst was happening. Now it hadn't she still wanted that touch, that reassurance. She got as close as she dared; stepping right up to the bed and placing her hands on the rail.

"I hear you are calling yourself Glinda now? Fancy yourself a saint?"

"It's simply a more common form of my name. Just for use when I am where I should not be. I imply no sainthood at all. Except for perhaps putting up with you."

Elphaba could only nod in agreement. "Anyway, how are you? These ruffians been looking after you?"

"How am I? How are _you_? Most people come so close to death would be milking it for all it were worth. You just act like it is all a terrible inconvenience."

"It is a terrible inconvenience. And there are much more important elements than I. Such as, how is your dress? Will the blood ever come out?"

Galinda shuddered. "I threw it away."

"Shame. I formed rather an attachment to it."

"Stop it. You are altogether too charming, even right at the end of your mortal coil."

"I hope I didn't scare you."

"Yes, you did."

"Well then I am wildly apologetic."

"Aren't you supposed to be in a coma?"

"So they say. It sounded boring. Not to mention indolent. Besides, what would everyone do without me to boss them?"

"Boq has done rather well."

"I know he has."

Galinda wasn't sure she'd heard pride from Elphaba before. But there it was. "He was worried. We were all worried." Her voice was quieter. She looked at Elphie, not at her but in to her.

Elphie's hand came up and touched Galinda's cheek for the briefest moment. There was such concern. It made Galinda want to weep again. "You look tired."

Galinda nodded. "It's been a long day. Night. Day and night and day again. I don't even know what the time is."

"You should get some rest. Have they found you somewhere to stay?"

"I think so. It's all become rather cloak and dagger. Not conducive to rest. I don't want to go back out there."

Though she could not imagine Elphaba comprehending fear there was a look of understanding in her eyes. "If you can bear my company you can always stay here."

"That would be nice. Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do?"

Elphie groaned. "I said you could stay, not that you could be my nurse."

"I might as well make myself useful. You know this is what people do, Elphie. They fuss each other and look after each other."

"Well then I am glad I am not people." Galinda could tell she did not mind, that maybe she enjoyed a bit of fuss. She would certainly have been more vocal about it than that if she had chosen to.

Galinda pulled the curtain around the cubicle properly. It was a dark heavy thing with a stain across the bottom. "Is that blood?"

Elphaba craned over the bed to see. "Oh, yes. Apparently there was quite a lot of it. Got everywhere."

"That's not sanitary," Galinda pointed out.

"No," Elphie agreed. She wriggled in the bed. "Look, they didn't even wipe the bed down, just changed the sheets. It's all starting to seep back up."

Galinda was horrified but Elphie made it sound like it was all quite good fun. Then she noticed something else and became even more horrified. "What are you wearing?"

"Hm?"

"What are you wearing?"

"I see where you are going with this. That's my fault. I just felt more comfortable with it on."

"More comfortable?" Galinda approached again and leant down to look closer at the dress. "It's covered in blood." The black of the dress had hidden it at first but up close she could quite clearly see the shining of blood. Under the sheet, previously hidden from Galinda's view, she could now see a hole in the dress, and white bandages. White, a strip of green skin and then the black dress.

Galinda took hold of a bare arm, despite protestations. Looking closer she could see faint traces of dried blood. "Elphie!" she exclaimed. "We need to get you cleaned up."

"Yes I know, I would like nothing more than to sort myself out. However without wishing to play the invalid card it is a touch difficult for me right now. As soon as I feel better I shall have a proper wash. You will just have to put up with me until then. Or not. Your choice."

"They are not going to let you walk about for days. You'll put your stitches out and you can barely move your other arm. Don't be ridiculous, really. Why don't you ask a nurse to help you?" Elphaba didn't look happy. "What is it?" Galinda continued, touching her arm.

"I like my privacy." She said eventually. Galinda realised, suddenly, where this might be headed and regretted bringing it in to the open if it was going to upset her so much, on top of everything else. "It's rotten enough being prodded and poked for medical reasons. If you think I'm going to let anyone... see me... in this state you've got another think coming."

"Oh, Elphie. It's quite normal to need people sometimes. And the nurses must bathe people every day, it's their job."

"Not people like me."

Elphie was breaking her heart. A comedian in the face of death she was undone with fear at what should be the simplest of tasks

Galinda made a decision. "I'll be back soon. Try and get some rest."

"But I thought you –"

"Rest." With the stern command she left a blinking Elphaba to sink back against the pillows.

Galinda found the laundry and fetched clean sheets and towels as well as a blanket. She fretted over supplies for a while, fetched some juices and bread and then returned to the infirmary. Everyone seemed to be asleep. Back over by Elphaba's bed was a wooden box. When opened it showed an array of glass bottles and jars, the toiletries she had sent for.

Constructing herself a bigger work space by curtaining off the empty cubicle next door Galinda laid out her implements. Elphaba was asleep. Galinda was loathe to wake her. She looked so different, sleeping. Not relaxed by any stretch of the imagination; her hands clutching the bed sheets in fists she looked about ready to take a swing at someone. Just quieter. More still. Galinda moved over and looked down at her. The plan would just have to wait. She would leave and let Elphie sleep.

"You're back." Elphie's eyes struggled open.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you."

"I was hardly even asleep."

"You look like you need it."

"Later," Elphie shrugged. Galinda suspected that full remark was normally 'I'll sleep when I'm dead', but that it had been moderated for her.

"Well then, Miss Thropp, are you ready for your bath?"

Elphaba looked rather panicked.

"I sent for your oils. I have clean sheets and everything. We are going to make you nice and comfy."

Elphie either didn't have the energy to or just didn't plain want to fight it. She might have been awake but her eyes wandered around the cubicle, not in the focussed way Galinda remembered the first time they met, more disconnected.

"Here," Galinda gently lifted the bedsheets over Elphie's knees and set them aside. She put a hand on Elphie's shoulder to lean her forward.

Elphie did not look happy but for what ever reason she allowed it to continue. Gently Galinda unbuttoned the dress, still damp. She couldn't get it off, Elphie was too stiff and unable to move her arm.

"You'll have to cut it," Elphie said. "It has a rather spectacular hole in it already."

Galinda found the scissors and performed her own surgery on the awful garment, dropping the pieces on the floor with a little face of revulsion. Elphie started to draw her legs up to her chest but just winced in pain.

Under her dress the blood hadn't been touched, instead starting to dry on its own. It looked horrific, not to mention uncomfortable. Galinda wiped the worst of it away, setting Elphie back on her pillows. She had Elphie select the right oil and poured some on to a cloth, wiping it over her arm. It didn't seem to work.

"Your hands," was all Elphie said, her voice sounding thick. With exhaustion, probably, Galinda thought.

Trying again Galinda tipped more out and warmed it between her palms. Taking Elphaba's hand she stretched out an arm and ran her hands up and down.

Instantly Elphie relaxed. The tension across her brows disappeared and her arm was limp in Galinda's grasp. The oil glistened on her skin, a thin layer of flesh that rippled under Galinda's fingers. However Galinda imagined it might feel it was not like this. Her hands ran up and down Elphie's arm, then wiped at it with the towel, dark smudges coming away on the white fluff.

With the same repeated on the other arm Elphie stayed silent. Gently Galinda murmured for her to roll on to her front, if she could. She managed to get sideways and Galinda leant low over the bed to massage and wipe her back. A huge bruise was forming on the same side as the wound. Darker patches of blood stretched across her back in a diagonal line that Galinda didn't recognise – until she moved around to the other side of the bed and stretched over them, her arm fitting the shape perfectly.

It was the mark of her, she realised with a sharp intake of breath. Where she had been holding on, the blood seeping everywhere. That almost brought her to tears again but she didn't know why. Everything was all right now. Everything would be all right.

Finishing with Elphie's back, giving her shoulders a gentle kneading for good measure, Galinda helped Elphie turn over again. She tucked a few loose strands of hair back in to Elphie's bun. She felt a knot in her stomach, looking down at Elphie's torso. This was going to be painful. Elphie fidgeted.

"I'm sorry I'm not properly attired. I wasn't anticipating being shot."

"Really? So this isn't just another day in the life of the Eminent Thropp?"

They avoided each other's eyes and she kept as much distance as she could so as to avoid Elphie feeling crowded. Elphie hadn't had a bra on, which wasn't a problem as a purely functional issue but under the circumstances was going to be something else. She decided to get on with it, trusting Elphie to speak up if she needed to. Elphie seemed calm, staring fixedly at the ceiling, even if it were the sort of calm one had to put a lot of effort in to. Galinda supposed she was having to steel herself against the pain and discomfort.

The left side was particularly difficult and moving down Elphie's body it was clear she was in a great deal more pain than she was letting on. Her ribcage on the left side was swollen and bruised, a complete contrast to the other side where Galinda could clearly see ribs ghosting beneath her skin. It was messy even though Galinda had got the worst of it the first time round. She found she had to go even more slowly and gently, move away for a while and then come back again for some more. She pulled a hospital gown over Elphie's head and halfway down her. One green arm came across it to hug it to her, looking so strange against the bright white.

She made her way down, across Elphie's barely existent belly. The underwear was going to have to come off as well, it was stained as badly as the dress. All Galinda had to do was look up enquiringly and Elphie nodded, biting her lip. Galinda tucked her fingers in to the top hem and ran them down Elphie's legs, dumping them in the same pile with the dress. Galinda wiped and swept across the hips and then tucked up Elphie's knee to do one whole leg at a time. There was not much blood on her feet, just a small trickle from where it had run down her leg as she had stood, almost offended, immediately after the incident. Galinda washed them anyway, fingers tracing over old scars.

At this point just putty in her arms Elphie seemed quite content to be rolled about as Galinda attempted to wipe the bed and change the sheets. Elphie was leaned against Galinda's shoulder. Galinda could smell her hair. There was a burning in her stomach.

The bed was made in some fashion, not exactly hospital corners but Elphie wasn't going to be complaining, Galinda reasoned. She heaped on an extra blanket. She had been intending for Elphaba to eat something but she was asleep.

Galinda herself felt exhausted. She had been exhausted anyway but a strange adrenaline had kept her going. Now she felt almost as relaxed as Elphie looked. There was a sense of intoxication as well, extreme well-being that she put down to the comfort of Elphaba being safe.

She stroked Elphie's hair. "Go to sleep," she murmured. She wanted to do more, say more. There wasn't anything.

Instead she curled herself up on the next bed and went to sleep as well.

* * *

Predictably the doctor, a complete quack, Elphaba felt, was near apoplectic at the concept of Elphaba leaving. Or at least that was how she reported it gleefully to Galinda later.

"I cannot believe they are letting you go. After only four days?"

"They can't hold me, I'm not a prisoner. Anyway, I have a reputation for being terribly persuasive."

Elphaba was amused by Galinda rolling her eyes at that. How far they had come, she was moved to ponder. Since this strange girl with hidden depths just marched up to her at some Oz-be-damned party

The last few days had been fractious, to say the least. Elphaba knew she was an awful patient but she tried, she really did. It had been best for everyone that she had slept a lot. She was frustrated and felt confined and that energy had to go somewhere so it mostly came out of her mouth. Not as forcefully as she would like, either. She was wheezy and prone to coughing and constantly in more pain than she would ever, ever admit.

Galinda fixed her with this particular look she was developing. "You're not healed, even if you pretend to be."

Unhelpfully Elphaba was gripped by a cough that emptied her of all breath. "Ignore that. That wasn't supposed to happen."

Galinda rubbed her back. "You need to rest."

"That's what's making me so bad. I need to get back out."

Galinda pursed her lips. "I know. You need to take your medicine."

Fixing Galinda with her own look Elphaba pointed out that, "Pinlobble is not medicine."

"Elphie, there's no vendetta. Honestly." Galinda left it there, so she grudgingly left it there too.

The doctor sputtered about infection and so on. Only Galinda paid him any particular attention and used her skills to deflect and calm him.

She wasn't sure she had ever been so happy to be outside but then she had never been inside for so long either.

No-one was happy about Elphaba eschewing the more normal convalescent route of going back to Colwen Grounds but neither was anyone particularly surprised. She said she would convalesce on the journey to the Emerald City. Eyes were rolled, futile arguments were made... and Elphaba got her way.

The retinue returned to Colwen Grounds. Boq and Elphaba were headed to the City and though Galinda had sent messages home she was essentially missing in action. So she was headed back to civilisation as well. It seemed only natural they would share the carriage there.

It was only a few days journey along the Yellow Brick Road. They stopped in nice inns and ate pleasant food, Boq and Galinda scrutinising Elphaba's every move, making sure she was eating, getting enough fluids, changing her dressings, resting well. A pair of nursemaids.

Elphaba travelled on a stretcher laying between the two facing seats of the coach. An ingenious idea, if she thought so herself. It allowed her to recline, stretching her legs quite comfortably.

Boq took up residence in the opposite corner and often times sat outside with the driver. Their unintended stop had been hard for him too, cooped up and out of the way.

Galinda sat alongside her. They would read together. Elphaba tolerated travelling for that reason; it was one of the few times she still had the opportunity. Sometimes they just watched Oz going by out the window. There was a good deal of snoozing as well.

Pondering the idea that she might permanently renovate her carriages to contain these bed-setups as it was an infinitely more fun way to travel she began to like the concept a good deal more when it was found that one excellent use was in incorporating other people. Galinda would sit so close and the positioning was difficult for reading with being at right angles. So Galinda ended up lying on the stretcher with her.

Boq would look at her strangely but she was sure she didn't have a clue as to why.

At this point Boq was slumped in his corner snoring lightly; it was raining outside. Galinda was reading and Elphaba had been but dropped the book and was watching the raindrops running down the window, her eyelids drooping. Maybe it was the rain that made the atmosphere seem so... heavy wasn't quite the right word. Close. Intimate.

So she was drowsing, more lulled in to napping than actually tired. Drifting in and out of sleep she wasn't sure how long it had been before she felt Galinda move. They were pressed entirely against one another, knocking about with the bouncing of the carriage. She supposed it was a natural settling.

Galinda's hand was moving with intent over her and it came to rest over her heart. It took Elphaba a few minutes to work out what to do about this, her mind seemed unnaturally clouded. But Galinda hadn't done anything else, just stayed perfectly still. Elphaba could feel the vibrations of her pulse reverberating back off Galinda's hand. A hand that was spreading a warmth over her chest.

"I'm still here," she felt compelled to point out.

Galinda reacted as if she had been stuck with a poker, which Elphaba instantly regretted.

She turned towards the poor terrified creature. She herself had slid further down her makeshift bed so that Galinda now seemed much higher, still propped up by cushions. She tried to raise herself and Galinda leant a hand by pulling on her shoulders. Elphaba was quite intensely aware that one arm remained around her even once she settled. Not that she was going to lodge a complaint.

"I was just thinking..." Galinda was quiet but had recovered herself. "How strong it was. It's really booming away in there. No wonder it wouldn't stay stopped."

Hardly seeming aware she was doing it her hand started to gravitate back over Elphaba's chest. Elphaba just watched it.

"Yet a few inches further up..." Galinda's hand settled and between one arm and the other Elphaba was almost completely surrounded. She had expected to feel more claustrophobic except she didn't at all.

"Nonsense," Elphaba recognised her own words but it didn't feel like her voice. "It could just as easily have been a few inches in another direction and whizzed straight past me." She wrenched her eyes from Galinda's hand on her chest and they didn't have far to go before they met Galinda's own. Their heads, Elphaba remarked to herself, were really rather close together.

"For the love of Oz, Elphie," Galinda was saying but all Elphaba could really feel was Galinda's breath on her cheek. It made her want to gulp. "Can't I just be happy you are alive?"

They were now a good deal closer together, Elphaba realised. Just about all she could see was Galinda's lips. How was this happening? Was it she who was moving? Was Galinda?

Not feeling particularly verbose, Elphaba managed to stammer out "I – maybe – it..." but she didn't know what she was talking about any more. She could feel a heat pouring off of Galinda and it was collecting in the pit of her own stomach. Why was she talking? Maybe she should just shut up.

Silence was made mandatory by the feeling of Galinda's hand moving up her chest to the collar of her blouse and then the feeling of fingertips on her skin... she couldn't have spoken even if she had been able to form words and pull them from her mind. Her throat felt thick and now Galinda mentioned it her heart did seem to be beating arrhythmically or at least much too fast. Her eyes flicked up to Galinda's and the blue within them seemed to be calling to her. But it was the lips that claimed her interest again and they were now so close their faces were just touching.

Despite the absolute throbbing in her chest, the shakiness of her limbs, her shortness of breath and the clouding of her mind so that she could only think fractions of seconds in to the future Elphaba was feeling remarkably well.

Galinda's lips were so close to her own, she could feel the heat between them so strongly she thought for a moment they had actually made contact. That possibility was overruled when they really did make contact and the heat was everywhere. It was fire and smoke and billowing and Elphaba felt quite insane in a perfect, perfect way.

That hand was creeping up her neck and along her jaw blazing a burning trail in a delightful manner and Elphaba felt transported to such blissful happiness. Yet there was a darker feeling growing not so much in her mind as in her gut that made her want to growl. Her insides were on fire, she felt she wanted to consume everything... Galinda, all of Oz, everything... wanted to possess it all completely. One of these two sides – she was not sure which one – betrayed her and made a noise akin to a whimper, which seemed a trifle undignified.

The strange unguarded sound in the heated panting between them propelled Galinda's hand to the back of Elphaba's head where fingers wound themselves in her hair. Another noise escaped her as their lips moved against one another's. It was a more open noise and if Elphaba didn't know better she would have said it was a moan.

The all-conquering, invincible-feeling part of her made a break for it and she raised her own hand to touch the skin at Galinda's collar bone. It was quite the addictive sensation and she understood now the quest Galinda's hands were on, roaming through her hair. She realised they hadn't actually stopped their orbit yet and were now on their sides, pressing against each other.

Elphaba slipped an arm round Galinda's back and pulled her closer, wanting more touch and less space, ignoring the pressure it caused on the soreness of her side. It was bandaged, it would be fine. Galinda wasn't ignoring it however. Even though she appeared to be occupied elsewhere she ran a hand down Elphaba's side, making Elphaba shiver terribly, and pushed away at her hip, putting a bit of distance between them around that area.

Galinda wasn't losing her rhythm even whilst she was preventing Elphaba from hurting herself. Almost as if to trick her in to not noticing this particular lack of contact Galinda ran her tongue along Elphaba's lower lip on one of the beats where their mouths were open against each other and her insides went wild at the same time her mind just gave up trying to process anything any more. Which was strange, really, as normally she prided herself on her mental acuity.

All she could think of, all she could feel, was Galinda. Her senses managed just about to taste Galinda, to feel her, but no more.

The carriage lurched suddenly, hitting something on the road. Galinda almost toppled backwards off the stretcher but Elphaba held on to her, heart racing and hands shaking.

"Hnnf!" Boq exclaimed, jolted in to the air from his seat.

Galinda retreated, squirming out of Elphaba's grasp. Elphaba felt more desperately at a loss than she had ever known were possible.

Propriety was restored.

However at dinner that night Elphaba could not stop the heaving of her chest whenever Galinda looked at her. She could feel Galinda's skin under her fingertips. She could feel Galinda's touch on her own skin, still. Possession of this wonderful secret had her bursting at her seams. Galinda seemed to have a new enigmatic smile and when they said good night and parted company for their various rooms Galinda hovered at her door, Elphaba watching intently.

"Good night, Elphie, darling," she said quietly, only half looking over her shoulder and not quite making eye contact as she let herself in to her room.

"Galinda..." Elphaba didn't know what she was going to say, she just wanted to forestall their parting, keep Galinda with her for a few moments more.

Galinda just smiled at her from the threshold and closed the door. It was a beautiful smile, a beatific smile. But Elphaba wasn't so unversed in emotion to see the sadness there as well.

By lunch time the next day they were just a few hours from the Emerald City. They had stopped for a final change of horses when Galinda made an announcement.

"I'm getting out here. It would be best if I got my own carriage back in to the City."

That made a lot of sense but Elphaba felt cheated at the sudden loss with no preparatory time to console herself to the idea. The threat of Galinda's absence immediately opened an ache, a chasm in her chest.

Galinda was hugging Boq. "Take care of yourself," she said. "And just ignore her."

"Always," he smiled. Honestly. Beyond the pale.

As Galinda turned to her Elphaba felt her breath hitch. Galinda took her hand and gave it a little squeeze, leant down and kissed her cheek. Elphaba could feel Galinda's breath, feel eyelashes fluttering against her face. Then she was gone.

"When will we see her again?" Boq wondered.

"At the most unexpected and unlikely point, as usual," Elphaba noted, all too accurately.


	7. Chapter 7

No sooner had Elphaba managed to get herself in the door of the house than Nessa appeared, bristling with clear displeasure. It was not to be the greatest welcome in the history of welcomes.

"What have you been up to, Elphie? Don't tell me it is a coincidence that you were out in the country and an army contingent got a bloody nose!" Nessa stood in the hall, feet planted wide, accusatory.

Elphaba paused only for a moment. "Says who? Hello, by the way. Lovely to see you."

"Everyone knows about the army. Not about you, thankfully."

That was all Elphaba felt she needed so she proceeded through the hall and towards the stairs, Boq dragging along a small amount of luggage and attempting to intercede on her behalf.

"The thing is, Nessa, Elphie has not been very well."

"Unwell?" That only piqued Nessa's interest and suspicion further. She tagged after Elphaba, questioning her doggedly. "When have you ever been unwell? Nanny? Have you ever known Elphaba sick?"

Elphaba was on the bottom step of the stairs and now scrutinised by all but very much not in the mood for it. "I am quite all right," she lied fluently. "Or will be, if I am allowed upstairs for a moment's peace and to freshen up."

"She does look peaky," Nanny said to Nessa.

"Perhaps even thinner than usual," Nessa added.

Elphaba rounded on them, a growl in her throat. She had not intended to let anyone know, which Boq had been trying to persuade her against. "I have a little cough. It really is quite unremarkable."

"She was shot," Boq interjected immediately.

"Traitor!" she branded him, without any particular anger. She was too tired, she hadn't the energy to be so riled.

"Someone shot you?" Nessa leant up against Nanny, looking rather peaky herself.

"It was an accident," she found herself defending whoever it was. "They didn't know they were. It was more of a –"

"Someone shot you by accident?" Nessa was not moving on as quickly as Elphaba would have liked. It was almost touching.

"Perhaps we had better take this conversation in to the parlour, eh poppets?" Nanny offered.

In truth Elphaba wanted none of this but nodded anyway. She caught Boq by the arm and steered him in as well: there was no escape for him, having caused the fiasco.

Now seated and looking a little recovered Nessa demanded a fuller account. Elphaba expanded slightly. Boq expanded more. It made her squirm to think of, to be missing these memories. To have Boq and Galinda know details about herself that she did not. Along with no small amount of something like embarrassment.

"But you are quite well?" Nessa asked with a grudging concern, or so it seemed to Elphaba.

"I shan't be in a hurry to do that again. Large scale blood loss is quite uncomfortable." Elphaba confessed. "The usual once a month will be quite sufficient from now on."

"Elphaba! Are you trying to kill _me_?" She was rather pleased with that reaction, it gave her a much needed chuckle.

In truth she did not know whether she felt all right or not. Having never been shot before she was not sure how such things were supposed to feel or on what time scale they were supposed to run. She felt constantly more fatigued than usual and a general body-wide aching she had not expected to feel until middle age. She wanted to chunter mild curses the way Nanny did when she got in or out of chairs. And this damned cough would not go away, this nagging pain. In truth, it all worried her rather. She did not feel efficient.

Now Boq was talking. "She was amazing, you should have heard the way she spoke, people were quite ready to do –"

She held a finger up against him, both a motion to be quiet and a threat if he did not comply.

Nessa seemed to have been enjoying the story. "It is such a shame you continue with this atheistic nonsense. You should make a very fine preacher."

"I preach things other than fear and repression." Her retort was quick.

Once Nessa had got over that little outburst she had more questions. "Why were you parted from Boq and Mallo? Why did you not fight?"

Elphaba exchanged a look with Boq. He shuffled in his seat and looked down at his feet. Nessa looked expectantly between them.

An uncertainty over how to approach this came across Elphaba. She felt she should have been planning ahead. Rather than forwards her thoughts on the matter had been reaching back. Remembering rather than anticipating. "It was, um, Galinda. We were, well, arguing. I got cut off from the others."

"Jolly bad luck," Boq said.

"Probably for the best," Elphaba said at the same time.

They looked at one another. "Swings and roundabouts," Boq amended before turning his attention back to the floor.

Nessa looked more nonplussed than ever. "Honestly, Elphaba. I simply don't understand a single thing that goes on in your life. How you manage to make everything so complicated is beyond me."

"Not all my complications are sought. Or welcomed. I assure you that I did not get shot simply to inconvenience you."

"Which is exactly my point. You did not inconvenience me at all – you were not even going to inform me. Why did you not send for me?"

"You would still be on your way there now if we had sent for you." Elphaba meant it as a consolation. A practicality rather than a particular decision not to involve Nessa.

Nessa looked a little mollified. "Instead you came here. Why not back to Colwen Grounds? Do you seek an Emerald City doctor?"

"No. In fact we shan't be here long. I'm going to the Vinkus."

She hadn't mentioned that yet. Three horrified faces turned to her. "To the Vinkus?"

"Is there an echo in here?" Elphaba cried.

She got up from her seat with the intention of pacing about but was caught by breathlessness and had to hold the back of her chair while she coughed. Boq, Nessa and Nanny just watched, a mixture of horror and helplessness. She hated being under their scrutiny. Or worse, attracting their sympathy.

"Elphie," Nessa said, almost gentle, a tenderness Elphaba knew was there really, beneath the disguise of snippiness. "You need to be more realistic."

She dug her fingers in to the stuffing of the chair, squeezing tight. "I really don't." She did not want to be. Reality was hard enough as it was and she felt she dealt with it admirably. But she would never accept its limits.

With a sad smile Nessa motioned for Nanny to help her up. "I am going to have a rest. I imagine you will too. Dinner will be at seven as usual. We will talk more then."

Elphaba nodded curtly but as Nessa came past where she was stood she put out an arm to her shoulder and gave a little squeeze. "It is good to see you, Nessie."

Nessa smiled and continued on her way only stopping in the doorway. "Just, one thing."

"Mm?"

"How in Oz did Lady Chuffrey involve herself in all this?"

Another spanner was abruptly thrown in to the machinery of Elphaba's brain. "I'm sure I do not know." Elphaba feigned disinterest entirely unsuccessfully but Nessa still left the room.

Letting out a long sigh she turned to Boq. "I'm holding you responsible for this," she gave him fair warning.

"Are you not... concerned?" He was ignoring her and being ever so delicate, even for him.

"Concerned about what, exactly?" She was concerned about almost everything almost always, the question was a bit broad.

"About Galinda! About the things that she knows... about you, about us, about what's going on. I just..." He ran a hand through his hair as she looked on. "How did she know, Elphie? How did she get there?"

"She certainly didn't walk. Or get blown. A carriage I imagine. Gracious Boq, you're being quite hysterical. Keep your pantaloons on." Elphaba didn't have those answers and she preferred to cut to the chase anyway. "Do you not trust her?"

He looked back at her, a moment of bravery flashing in his eyes. "I don't know. I want to. But I don't know. Do you?"

Somewhere she knew there was truth in his words. She wanted to as well. But could she? Why did she want to? Was she being blinded by infatuation? Why did this have to happen now, after all these years of blissful ignorance, now when things were so precarious? "I want to."

He nodded, not looking entirely convinced. "I need to know though, how she ended up there. How she knew. Why she was there."

Elphaba did not respond but apparently it had been a question. "Well?" he repeated. "Do you know why? Did you ask her?"

"No." Elphaba then added a counter argument of, "Did you?"

He shuffled. If he wanted to proceed he would have to address another issue. She would rather he didn't, for her own sake, but felt she would be rather proud if he did.

"I thought you might have... being as you have grown so... close. But then, maybe that is why you didn't."

That was far braver than had been expected.

Of course she knew. Or she thought she knew. Or she hoped she knew. Rooted in those glances, the tentative outstretched hand, those moments of madness in the carriage on a rainy afternoon. Somewhere she allowed herself to hope that was why Galinda was there. Elphaba felt like a shaken bottle of champagne, bubbling and liable to explode everywhere.

"Elphie!" His frustration was growing, he stood quickly and gestured at her. "You have to –"

"I don't have to do anything!" she snarled at him.

The hand came back to his side formed into a fist. She watched it, curious as to what he might do with it. But after only a moment it unfurled gently and went back to a more familiar habit of pinching at his nose. She imagined him counting slowly back from ten, using techniques designed for naughty children on her.

"So. What's all this about the Vinkus?"

"We're going to see Fiyero. I need something from the Arjiki."

"What?"

"An army."

"What?" He became decidedly high pitched.

"We can't let this keep happening. It will only get worse, you know it will."

"A coup? But _a coup_ though, Elphie?"

"I don't like it. I don't like it at all." His eyes were wide as he looked at her, completely at a loss. It was, she conceded, a new sort of idea. "The stakes have become a lot higher. What are we waiting for, that will finally change things? We've already lost too much." She looked down at the carpet. All she could see was the lawn of Colwen Grounds. The grass and earth stained with blood.

Boq wasn't looking at the floor though, he didn't see it. "The situation is precarious enough right now. Any moment, any day, all this could come crashing down. Everyone could just be rounded up and disappear. They would lose everything, lose their lives, in a second. Planning a coup only makes that more likely."

"You think I don't know that? You think I wouldn't take all that risk from them and on to myself, if I could? Would I ask it if there were any other way?"

He just looked tired. Not defiant, just exhausted and out of ideas. "I know. I worry, that's all. But really, you know, we're here because we believe in you. You're going to change all of this."

"Do you think?" She had, once. Now... she wasn't so sure any more.

* * *

Galinda was awake. Elphaba had woken her. Elphaba had woken her in so many ways. Chuffrey had sensed a change in her, becoming unusually attentive and receptive to any conversation. She thought this might be because he wished to enter a genuine discussion with her. Really he just wanted answers.

It only took a few days for the polite entente to break. A few days of Galinda's restlessness, using all her strength not to go to Lower Mennipin Street. That she was so distracted was unlikely to have helped, when Chuffrey finally went on the offensive.

"My wife tramples all over Oz, sometimes on her own, sometimes with no-one even knowing where she is and sometimes with some very dubious characters. Still, I do not step in, I do not insist on my rights. I know what people say. I know what people think of me for allowing this. Yet I do because I want you to be happy."

She loved Chuffrey, with fondness and familiarity and she knew he felt the same. That had always been enough. But now she felt a resentment building. Did he know how love really felt? What about her parents? Why had no-one told her, that this were possible, what this was?

She hadn't even understood her feelings at first. The absolute need to be around Elphaba. And when around her to be close. When close to be in her arms. And when in her arms to be... well, she wasn't entirely sure. Something more. More like in the carriage when her whole world had shrunk to just the two of them, when they had been the only things to exist in all of Oz. When Elphie had been so alive and so real and Galinda had been happier than she had ever known were possible.

It felt like a terrible joke played on her, that she hadn't known what love really was. Until Elphie. Who she loved now fiercely with all of her heart, with every piece of her. In that knowledge how could this life continue? Galinda felt more aware of her existence than she ever had been before. Parts of that were thrilling. Parts of that, with the responsibility for her life and her world, were terrifying.

She sat quietly whilst Chuffrey paced and stayed quiet while he apologised.

Afterwards, as if his outburst had been a necessary step before she could move forward, she travelled to Lower Mennipin Street.

"My sister is not here," Nessarose said as Galinda entered the parlour, obviously feeling she should pre-empt the question.

"No, I had expected as much." The disappointment was only slight, she genuinely had expected Elphaba to have left already. She had given her enough time to make an escape, though she held her breath every time the door of her suite at the Florinthwaite opened. "She doesn't seem to stay very long in one place. Is she on her way back to Colwen Grounds?"

"Unfortunately not. She is engaged in a more insane mission, as is her way." Galinda could not hide her intrigue and Nessa seemed to be watching for it. "She's gone to the Vinkus," Nessa continued, looking cross. Nanny patted her shoulder.

"To the Vinkus?"

Nessa shrugged. "_That_ is what I said when she told me."

"Surely she is not well enough?" Fear swept through Galinda. A trip in that direction was never something to be undertaken lightly.

"Never tell Elphaba she cannot do something. She will do it anyway just to prove a point, even if it kills her."

Galinda was suddenly even more afraid. "You don't think she is that ill?"

"Oh, no, that's not quite what I meant. You were with her, of course. Was she terrible?" It was said with a mix of disdain and fondness that seemed to characterise the sisters' relationship, which Galinda could still not quite comprehend.

"She was," Galinda conceded, smiling in to her tea cup. "The whole ordeal was terrible but she didn't help."

"I must apologise for her. She just has no idea how to behave."

"I quite like the way she behaves," Galinda let slip. "I mean, the way she thinks. And so on."

"Beware Elphaba and her opinions," Nessa warned with an apparently genuine tone. "She's not as right as she likes to think she is,"

Having an idea what might be coming Galinda still decided to feign innocence. "About what?"

Nessa's jaw tightened. "Munchkinland should secede. It will secede. Her opposition is fruitless and will not end well when the inevitable happens."

"Is that why you support it?" Was Nessa manoeuvring herself for power? Galinda couldn't keep everything straight in her mind, all the motives and machinations. It seemed chaotic and beyond unreasonable.

"I believe the Wizard as corrupt as my sister does, though for entirely different reasons. The Wizard is nothing more than a Pleasure Faither hiding behind Unionism and Oz is going to wrack and ruin. Our only choice is secession, the only survival and protection we can hope for."

"So... what happens to everyone else?"

Nessa smiled at that. "You have been listening to her. 'Everyone else' is not our responsibility. They can burn if they wish to burn. They know the route to salvation if they wish to take it."

With her head spinning sufficiently already Galinda was not about to get in to religion as well as politics. She had a more mundane – but, to her, important – question. "How is it you can both have such different views?"

"The thing about Elphaba – well, _one_ of the things about Elphaba – is that she almost seems to discern your opinions and then deliberately align herself completely oppositely. As some sort of sport. It started I think with Papa and her nonsense atheism. Or maybe she even knew before she was born and deliberately came out that wonderfully contrary colour."

Galinda blinked and digested this, her cup of tea paused in mid-air. She had often thought that for someone so apparently emotionally undemonstrative Elphie had a terrifying understanding and intuition as to the feelings of others. Certainly of Galinda herself.

"Though she is only contrary on the surface – I mean, so to speak – don't you think?" Elphaba's opinions about politics and religion seemed to Galinda to be the most deep seated emotions in all of Oz.

"Well that's another thing about Elphaba, then. Quite how unknowable she is. You just keep a tight grip on your mind when you are about her. She can be terribly persuasive."

The pair finished their tea in silence, both apparently contemplating the same riddle. With her mind more full of Elphaba than ever, Galinda arrived back at the Florinthwaite.

"Where is Sir Chuffrey?" she enquired at the desk as she stopped for messages.

"In the billiard room, ma'am."

She sighed. He had retreated in to the cigar-smoke filled rooms of the club Galinda was not permitted to roam in, as a mere wife.

"Very well," she said, mostly to herself. It was still early in the afternoon. There was no putting off the final confrontation. "I suppose I shall go out again then."

She summoned all her courage as she gave the address before climbing into the cab. She kept a strong grip on that bravery, the temptation to flee the cab every time it slowed or to divert to a park was almost overwhelming. It drove through the streets from the centre to the affluent Goldhaven neighbourhood. Grand houses that Galinda regularly visited, or used to, stood in their crescents with their vistas and public gardens.

She alighted at one and lifted her skirts over the pristine marble steps. Inside she was shown through to the drawing room, where she paused on the threshold for a reassuring breath of air before she entered.

"My dear Lady Chuffrey!

"Hello, Madame Morrible."

Madame Morrible rose from her chair and advanced on Galinda, which is very much how it felt, prelude to an invasion, an assault. She took Galinda's hands in a very familiar manner. "Come and sit, my dear. Will you have tea?"

"Please, yes." It would give her something to do with her hands, maybe take the attention away from them trembling.

"You have just missed your friend Pfannee."

Oh, thank goodness, she thought. "Oh, what a shame."

"Now then, are you settled? Here we are, nice and hot. So, have you news for me? Where has our dear, strange Eminence been? What mischief is she up to now?"

Morrible made it all seem like a game or a chance to exonerate Elphaba from that which they had no proof of. "I found her, as you said. She held meetings, she talked."

"Ah. There was a small disturbance nearby, did you hear anything of that?"

"Some rumours made it to the village. By that last week though Miss Thropp was ill, she had a cough." Galinda's heart was thumping in her chest so that she thought her whole body must be shaking, her dress vibrating. As she tried to remain composed she could smell burning thatch and her arms ached with the weight of an unconscious Elphaba. The sheer terror like she had never experienced before. Then other memories that made her shake, a thrilling quiver, a shiver that ran through her.

She wasn't sure if she was being in any way convincing.

"Indeed? So it may be this is one upset she was not involved in."

As far as Galinda could tell Madame Morrible seemed content. But Galinda had never been able to gauge Morrible, as good as her social skills were with other people. Since they had first met, since Pfannee had introduced them not long after Galinda had started with the questions about Elphaba, Galinda's very world had been rocked to its foundations. Morrible had encouraged her to get close to Elphaba, but the closer she got the less encouragement she needed. And the less she believed or cared about Morrible's concerns.

"I've never seen any evidence of her being involved in anything untoward. Eccentric but harmless, one could say."

Morrible squinted at her in such a way that Galinda feared she had revealed herself. That she would rather go to prison herself than have Elphaba harmed or her mission disrupted. As much as the association with the Madame terrified her there was possibility here, which was why she persevered. She could do her best to throw Morrible off the scent, to help Elphaba in ways she didn't even know she needed helping. She held her breath until Morrible spoke again.

"Elphaba has never been anything _but_ untoward. Keeping track of her at Crage Hall was a full time occupation, indeed I had one mechanical manservant entirely dedicated to it. You have no idea – she had no idea – the complaints I got about her from the other colleges, the Amas, local businesses, everyone. Running around town unchaperoned, climbing over walls, causing disturbances. She just about turned me grey." To reassure herself Morrible patted at her hair. "I believed in her. I saw great things for her. Things she could still have, should she come back into the fold."

Not entirely sure what to make of these reminiscences Galinda sat quietly, trying not to seem too engrossed. She knew Elphaba the firebrand well enough but this version of a younger, less encumbered Elphaba thrilled her too.

"I offered her all this. Power, to the highest levels. A chance to do right. Turned me down. Luckily others, including your friend Pfannee, stepped up to the challenge." Morrible had been growing cross but abruptly smiled and shifted her tone. "You did not attend university, my dear?"

"I was to be married."

"Ah, marriage. We lose so many good prospects that way." She took another sip of tea, consoling herself.

Whether she meant prospects for university students or her network of spies Galinda could not tell.

"Still, you are here now. Doing your patriotic duty in ballrooms and stately houses. Not even getting your hands dirty."

"No," Galinda agreed, though she felt compromised by Morrible's gaze again. The feeling of paranoia grew.

"You must be careful of our friend Elphaba. She can be very persuasive."

So she kept being reminded. She had come in to this too lightly, she realised. To extricate herself now would be impossible. Not without raising suspicion, suspicion to be cast on both herself and Elphaba. Which Morrible already seemed to have plenty of. Galinda felt the whole situation spinning out of her control as she comprehended the scale of it. Other people were watching Elphaba, people who were able to give Morrible her itinerary. Possibly other people were watching Galinda. The web stretched through the Emerald City and out in to Oz and Galinda was tiny and insignificant within it.

"Is there anything else?"

"No dear, I shall be in touch if necessary."

That night she was restless. Still, she should have known it was a dream.

It was the sheets. They were too bright, too white, they shone as if with their own luminance. And there was Elphaba, sleeping next to her. Was that love? The perfection of having someone just sleeping next to you?

Smiling she turned towards Elphie, ready to touch her, kiss her, hold her. But the sheet, the too bright sheet, was over Elphie's face now. Elphie who was lying flat on her back rather than curled on her side and when Galinda pulled it down it was not sleep that kept her so still.

Galinda reached out and her fingers met the cold. Cold and empty and lifeless.

With a panicked flurry Galinda sat bolt upright in bed, tasting sweat on her lips, a trembling and equally icily cold hand over her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: I should have mentioned this in advance... but we've upgraded to M. Whilst I'm here, thank you for so many lovely reviews and your kind attention!

* * *

All was well in Boq's world. The trip to the Vinkus had been aborted on the grounds that Elphaba was coughing up blood and they had returned to Colwen Grounds. For two months there had been peace and quiet, largely due to Elphaba being subdued. She seemed happy enough, he thought, but quieter, content to potter around and get on with the business of the estate.

Now in the library she was leaning over his shoulder watching him sort through the post. He knew what she was looking for, that very particular looping handwriting and a post mark that could be from anywhere in Oz. Galinda had written several times, polite enquiries after Elphie's health and everyone's well being. Elphie had treated these letters as occasions to behave very strangely for a few days and then dictate an equally bland reply for Boq to send back, though he always supplied his own addendum to them.

"Nothing today."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she huffed and fell in to a chair.

He rather wished she had found a friend before now, it amused him terribly. "I like you like this."

"How? Fractious? Annoyed with you? I worry about you Boq, honestly I do." She did not sound worried in the least.

He contemplated what it was about her that he found so fascinating. "Nervous."

"Nervous?" She was not impressed with his assessment. "Are you trying me on purpose? Nervous!"

"It's Lady Galinda. The pressures of high society association. Admit it."

"Indeed I will not." She was frowning. "I don't know what you even want from me."

"Your soul would do," Boq quipped.

One of the team put his head around the door and waved a telegram in her direction. She strode over and took it, grinning at him as she replied. "Well then you are severely out of luck."

Still smiling Elphie took the telegram and unfolded it. He watched her dark eyes flick over the words. Her hand dropped and she looked up in to nothingness. Then she raised and read it again.

She looked off to the side and folded the slip of paper, fiddling with it between long green fingers.

"Elphie?" This was scaring him.

She paced over to the window and looked out for a moment.

"Elphie? What is it?" he said again as she picked at the lead around the glass. "Stop that. And tell me what's going on."

"It's, erm..." She read it again. "Boq, it's..."

He was vibrating with concern now. It was bad, clearly. His brain raced. What did they have to do? Another safe house blown? A friend arrested? Were the Gale Force on their way, was it finally time to grab their bags and run?

But Elphie gave a strangled noise as she screwed the telegram in to a ball and threw it at his feet before turning to the window again, leaning against it, the heat of her quick breath fogging it up. He reached down slowly, deliberately trying to extend the amount of time he did not have to face whatever this was. He unfurled the paper.

NESSAROSE THROPP DEAD STOP ACCIDENT IN CENTER MUNCH STOP MESSENGER ON WAY STOP

His hand fell and he was still for a moment. Then he forgot what it had said properly, or thought maybe he had read it wrong so held it up to read again.

"It might not be..." Some terrified part of him wanted to be dissuaded. "You don't know. It might not be true."

"It is true," she said. "I know it is. And you will soon enough."

"How? How do you know?" He realised he was swinging in to full denial but didn't see what other option he could possibly have. He refused to believe it were true. They just had to figure out that it wasn't and everything would be all right, it would all be straightened out.

She didn't answer him though, she prised herself off the window and turned back to her work on the table. Boq remained where he was.

A moment later Mallo burst in to the room. "I was in town –" he gasped for air. "Elphaba, I'm so sorry."

She didn't look up from her papers. Only her hand paused for a brief moment, the pen shaking in mid-air. "Thank you, Mallo. I appreciate that." She went back to her work.

Boq was confused. "How did you know?" He was still holding the telegram.

"It's all over town."

That roused Elphaba. "What are they saying?"

"Oh, all sorts," he said dismissively. "You know what people are like. Gossip and so on."

Boq watched him struggling. "Elphie, I'm going to find out what's going on. Don't worry about it, we'll get to the bottom of this."

She just nodded, seemingly unconcerned.

He left the library, taking Mallo with him, through the hall and out on to the front steps of the house. He needed some fresh air.

"Is she all right?" Mallo was confused. Boq knew how he felt.

"Oh, is she ever? I don't know what she's thinking." He realised he was angry with her. He clamped down on it. "That's just... how she copes with these things. It's all a bit surreal still. I'm not sure I believe it myself."

Mallo nodded, sitting down on a step. Boq paced. "What are they saying? You didn't want Elphie to know?"

"That it was deliberate. That it was political."

Boq nodded, that could hardly be a surprise. Not an accident at all.

"That it was Elphaba."

He rounded on Mallo immediately. "What?"

"That it was Elphaba," Mallo said again, quieter. "That Elphaba wanted her dead."

Boq sat down on the step and put his head in his hands.

The official message with the chief constable's seal did little to clear up the confusion once it finally arrived.

Nessa had been due to speak at a secessionist rally. It descended in to chaos when fighting broke out and shots were fired. The meeting was broken up in haste. Nessa was hustled in to the next door house. Which promptly blasted apart, flinging rubble right across the square and leaving only one wall standing. Center Munch had dissolved in to rioting before the bodies were even cleared.

Elphaba thumped the table as she read. "Accident! Accident my broom. Where's Nanny then?"

Boq turned to the constable. "An elderly lady, she would not have been far from Miss Thropp." And had she still been alive there was little doubt Nanny would have made herself heard. The constable shrugged, he was simply a messenger and as such he beat a hasty retreat.

"Assassination, eh? Martyrdom. How she would have loved that."

"What if it's not anything to do with secession? What if you are next? Or Shell?"

She laughed, cold and short. "Good luck anyone trying to find Shell. If they do maybe they can let me know where the little sod is. And me... well..."

She didn't care. She didn't care if there was an assassin out for her. But he cared, he wanted to remonstrate.

"Quite, 'well', indeed. I don't want you blown to smithereens. Not least because I'm always stood next to you."

She gave him a pensive smile for a moment. "Yes, I've been thinking we need to do something about that."

"About what?"

Instead of answering she headed upstairs. "I'm going to have a lie down."

He stood at the foot of the stairs watching her. Mallo appeared beside him. "She doesn't sleep, you know," Boq told his friend. "I hear her all night rattling around."

Elphaba did not reappear until the next day. She paced around the grounds in the morning, ate no lunch and flitted about in the library through the afternoon until the shout went up and one of the crew came running into the house from town to say the undertakers were coming.

Boq glanced over. Rather than looking sad Elphie just looked distracted, as though she were trying to remember where she had put her book or had lost a pencil that was tucked behind her ear.

He went outside, followed by Mallo who stayed in the doorway and Elphie who moved to stand in front. There was a throng of townsfolk at the end of the drive, some casting disapproving glances towards the house but most in genuine mourning.

The hearse moved slowly up the drive, the plumes on the horses' headdresses blowing wildly in the wind. Boq wiped his hand over his face. Elphie stood kneading at the scar on her side, eyes clamped on the procession.

The coffin was passed from the carriage and carried in to the chapel. The crowd at the gates started to disperse, leaving a litter of flowers, cards, books and carvings arranged against the railings.

Moving down the steps towards the chapel, Boq followed Elphie and her tall, straight back. By the carriages stood the undertaker and a constable.

"Your Eminence," the constable approached. "My condolences on your loss."

Elphie nodded sharply at him, but he was not done. "I hope you know we are doing everything we can to solve this terrible case. With that in mind, we would like to be able to have just a little conversation with you, sometime soon."

He was scared of her, Boq saw. And rightly so.

"I don't think so," she said, offhand and uninterested.

"It would be very useful to the investigation." The constable paled under Elphie's careful scrutiny. "If you could remain here at Colwen Grounds whilst we get this all straightened out?" That should have been an order rather than a question, but the intent was clear.

"I see." She seemed to comprehend it all. The rumours, the suspicions. Now she was effectively under house arrest. Boq knew she would never submit to any of it. She didn't trust the police, she believed them corrupt like she did most institutions. A pawn of the Wizard's. As fast as all this was flashing through his mind he knew it went faster through hers.

The constable left, taking that as the agreement Boq knew it wasn't. The undertaker was still at the carriage, waiting for his pallbearers to return.

"The Unnamed God keep your dear sister," he said by way of comfort, Boq supposed.

"The Unnamed God," Elphaba snorted. "Indeed I am sure he is most distressed at the loss of one of his greatest advocates in all Oz. Which makes you think, doesn't it," she was playing this up something wicked, "why then he would allow such a thing to happen?"

"Well..." The undertaker struggled. "Mysterious ways and all that."

"Not mysterious enough," Elphie muttered as the undertaker did a little bow and got in to the carriage with his pallbearers, giving a rap on the roof. The carriage moved down the drive.

Boq watched it go with a terrible fear in his heart.

Elphie remained stood. "He might be unnamed and mysterious but I think he has pinned his political colours to the wall with this one."

"Elphie, stop," he near enough begged. He even reached out to her arm but she shook him off, of course.

"Unnamed God," she repeated, almost laughing. Then something changed, some energy ran through her and she seemed to spark with it all.

Boq felt the world slow. In the dusk everything seemed sharp and the vision imprinted itself on his mind.

Elphaba lambasted the sky. "I've got a few names for you!" she roared at the looming clouds, her voice cracking. "Come down here you cowardly bastard! There's two to get you started!"

She collapsed to her knees wheezing with the exertion, her body convulsing as if with sobs. But her eyes stayed dry. Her hands clutched at clumps of dirt and grass. Boq put his own hands on her shoulders, patting at her ineffectually.

"Get off me," she growled. He didn't move. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do. None of this made sense.

Her breath heaved in and out, he could feel her body fighting for every scrap of air and was scared she would become ill again. There was a roll of thunder and he felt her tense for a moment but it was far away still. Maybe it was a reply.

Gradually Elphie began to quiet, and then she beat her fists on the ground a few times before rolling back on to her heels.

Boq kept his hands where they were, squeezing. He took a gamble on what might be the most helpful or insightful thing to say. Although if it were truly insightful it would not require guessing, he was aware of that. "She knew you loved her."

"Did she? ...Did I?"

Flippancy, sarcasm, irreverence... all of that was expected from Elphie. But this was different, dangerous: doubt.

She stood and wiped her hands on her skirt, holding her side as she coughed a few times. "I'm going back inside."

He nodded, watched her turn and continued to the chapel. He had only been in a handful of times. No minister was invited, no sermons held whilst Elphaba was Eminence. He stood in the doorway and looked up the aisle.

Dusty in here, Boq reflected. Cobwebs decorated the otherwise austere arches and there were bird droppings on some of the pews. In the evenings bats could be seen flying in and out. Less a house of the Unnamed God, more a house for wildlife and unnamed scuttling creatures. The small windows let in squares of grey light but it was dark and smelt damp. He moved slowly up towards the altar, clutching at the end of each pew as he passed it, having to drag himself there.

After that torturous journey he stood by the coffin. He placed both hands on top and closed his eyes. He thought maybe he should say something, but for whose benefit?

A few minutes later he felt silly and retreated a distance away, standing awkwardly, then taking a seat.

Suddenly, filled with an overwhelming urge, Boq knelt in the pew and prayed. Really prayed. Not like a boy, asking for things. Not like an angry young man, trying to bargain. He prayed not to change the future but for the strength to face it. He prayed they would all have the strength to deal with whatever came next. Even Elphie. Though he'd be facing the Unnamed God sooner rather than later if she ever found that he'd prayed for her.

A curious lightness settled on him, a relief of sorts. He couldn't account for it and began to grow scared of himself. Fearing a revelation or visitation or epiphany was about to occur he fled back to the house, heart thumping in his chest.

He found Mallo in the kitchen. "Where is she?"

Mallo looked blank for a moment as though he might say, "who?" which would have been ridiculous. She. Her. Always.

"I thought she was with you?"

"She said she was coming in..." he trailed off, anxiety creeping up his throat. "There's a storm coming."

They looked at each other and then both towards the door in to the garden.

"Get an umbrella," Boq said.

"And a rug," Mallo added.

Rushing outside Boq knew exactly where he was headed. He ran up the steps taking them two at a time, cursing his inability to go quicker. Thunder rolled again. He wheeled around the corner and was faced with a mass of gravestones. In the dying light he struggled to spot her amongst the stones and shadows.

"Elphaba!" he called. A movement caught his eye and he headed over, hearing Mallo's charging footsteps on the path behind him.

"Yes?" she said, perfectly relaxed, leant against a tombstone.

"For the love of Oz," he panted. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking." She rolled a blade of grass between her fingers.

He bent down, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. "Well do you think perhaps you might want to do that inside? You know, out of the rain?"

Mallo had caught up but lingered a few paces behind. Boq turned and retrieved the umbrella and the rug from him. "I've got it," he murmured and Mallo correctly took that as a cue to retreat back in to the house.

"My dear Boq," she said, with only the slightest touch of insincerity, to keep up appearances. "Do not be concerned. I have no intention of turning myself in to a puddle."

He sat down near – but not next – to her. "Jolly good. I mean, who else would employ me? Especially with no reference."

She smiled, as was his intent. "I never got a reference for you. Do you suppose it's too late?"

"I think you might know everything there is to know."

"I'm sure I don't." She looked right in to his eyes in such a peculiar, humble way that he felt quite stunned. Even as the thunder echoed off the walls of the house and was immediately followed by the light pattering of rain they stared at one another.

As a drop ran down his face he recovered himself and flung the rug over her. She hadn't moved, she had stayed stock still even as the drops landed on her bare forearms.

"Thank you for that," came from under the rug, the muffled effect not hiding the deadpan delivery. She started to burrow out from under it, wrapping it around her like a shawl as he put up the umbrella.

They picked their way back across the lawn and into the house. The kitchen was a-clatter with people having their dinner so they continued through. In the library she wedged herself in to an armchair and rubbed oil on her arms.

Mallo was there with Uly, sat at the desk going over correspondence.

"Any news?" she asked.

"Your father has sent word. He wants – he would like – the chapel to be opened. A public lying in state."

Elphie looked either horrified or incensed. Either way it was not a good look and no good would come of it. "He would, would he?"

No-one was not going to respond to that. She supplied her own response soon enough. "Parading around a – a – a corpse! She's gone! Gone, gone, gone. He'll probably claim miracles and try to get her canonised which is the last thing I need. Nessa was godly, but she was no god."

Uly spoke up, leaning forwards over the desk. "Let him have it – let _them_ have it, Elphaba. She meant a lot to them. In any case, best not to antagonise. People loved her."

"And they hate me? Is that your point? There's a difference between a popular decision and a right one." After a moment of what could have been deliberation she sounded more authoritative and simply said "No."

They both nodded and left the room. Uly, whatever his personal opinions, was not going to cross her and Boq quite agreed with that decision. He rubbed at his head.

"It's not about popularity, you realise. It's about us not getting murdered in our beds," he mumbled.

"I suggest we start using the deadbolts then. Or board up the windows. Whatever makes you feel better."

How helpful, he thought. A bit of sarcasm, business as usual.

"You could always leave." She said it quite offhandedly as his eyes snapped back to her.

Where had that come from? "What?"

She lifted her head and he saw at once how tired she looked, how the fury that used to hold her together was now ripping her apart.

This is what he had meant, in the chapel. "I wouldn't leave. Whatever we fail to achieve. I wouldn't leave you."

There was a slight nod but she was not really listening.

During the night Boq was woken by noises that were definitely not Elphie rattling about.

They were coming from outside so he went blearily over to the window and pulled back the curtain as a flash filled his room, followed by a bang that sprung him off the floor. A roaring noise and an orange haze filling the lower sky caught his attention.

He rushed from the room grabbing at a dressing gown and almost collided with Mallo on the stairs. They ran to the front of the house where the door was open.

Elphie, still fully dressed, was already there in front of him, stood on the steps.

"Here we go then," she said, eyes locked on the burning buildings visible through the railings at the end of the garden. She started off down the drive.

"Elphie, no!" He lunged at her but she shook him off.

"We have to stop this!" she said urgently. But then, with Elphaba, when was anything not urgent?

"You can't go out there! They'll tear you limb from limb. Please! Let them have their riot, get it out of their system. Diplomacy can wait."

He must have been sick of living. He barged her out of the way to put himself in front. She looked at him, amazed and appalled. He held his hands out, as if placating a wild animal. She took a step forward.

"Get out of my way."

"No."

"Boq get out of my way or so help me –"

"What? Do it. Whatever you're threatening to do, do it. You'll have to knock me over or knock me out."

The look on her face was beyond menacing and he was beyond terrified. He hoped very much he was calling her bluff and not inviting bodily harm on himself.

She reached out an arm and took his shoulder, trying to pin him in place so she could manoeuvre around him. He knocked off her hand and shoved her backwards. It wasn't enough force to cause her to more than stumble, however the effect was quite profound.

Seething, she turned on her heel and headed back to the house.

"I won't let you do this to yourself," he called after her.

* * *

Galinda appeared in the hallway of Colwen Grounds, holding her valise and having let herself in with no-one around to answer the door. It was usually quiet here but that was an intense sort of quiet. This was bereft. Hopeless. She went to the library. Pushing at the door she saw Boq sat at the great table on his own. He looked up. He did not seem surprised.

"Where is she?"

"Laid out, in the chapel."

No. "Elphaba."

His eyebrows said "oh." He said "In town. She went to see the damage."

"On her own?" That fool girl.

His eyebrows said, "of course." He didn't need to say anything.

Leaving her valise – having apparently invited herself to stay – Galinda made her way across the grounds. Where was everyone? The last riot she had been at had been rather more... riotous. This was deathly quiet. Maybe they were staying away, in deference.

Perhaps she should have stayed, checked on things at the house first. Made herself useful. But all she was here for was Elphie. Everything else could wait.

Hearing the news she had, thank goodness, not been in the Emerald City but up in the Glikkus with her husband. It would have taken her over a week to travel so far in to Munchkinland from the City. This had taken her and her determined – and well paid – driver just two days.

The newspapers had arrived on a morning train. Dispassionate reportage, black and white commentary on a world that Galinda knew was anything but black and white. She hadn't read it herself; someone had engaged her in conversation, more likely a mission for gossip.

"You know the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland do you not, Lady Chuffrey?" She had been trying to eat her breakfast in peace.

Chuffrey had answered for her. "Indeed they are practically best friends." She had smiled, thinly. What had Elphie done now?

"Ever meet her sister, Miss Nessarose Thropp?"

"Yes, several times. Why?" That Elphie should somehow be in the newspapers was not surprising even if Galinda's mind went instantly to the worst. But Nessa?

"She's dead."

Galinda dropped her butter knife. "Dead?" she repeated.

Chuffrey had the gallantry to look annoyed at his colleague for his indelicacy. The bearer of bad news added further "It looks like all of Munchkinland is in uproar now. The secession will surely come."

That caused much muttering around the table and the talk turned to the political ramifications. A young girl was dead. A sweet, if odd, young girl was dead. A family plunged in to grief, her friends... Elphaba... Munchkinland in goodness knows what state and all anyone cared about was the inevitable inflation of the price of corn.

Standing up slowly Galinda had excused herself from her half eaten breakfast. Chuffrey gave her hand a little squeeze as she went past. She went to her rooms, packed a valise, wrote a note to slip under his door and left.

Now, slowly, as if waiting for another bomb to go off, she went through the gates and in to the settlement that however many centuries ago had sprung up next to the Eminence's official residence.

Eerily a lot of things did not look so different. The town looked more or less the same but with a strange imposition, a surreal layer of change, like a spot the difference puzzle. From some angles one could pretend nothing had ever happened. Other views made it look like a whole different world.

The statue of the Wizard in front of the Town Hall had been pulled down. The ropes were still attached. There were faint dents where tiny Munchkin feet had tried to kick the bronze to little effect. It had been abandoned and the crowd had moved on to other games.

A small bonfire had been built next to it in the courtyard. Official decrees presumably, now just a pile of ash. Smoke was still billowing from a postal coach, the driver and horses having long since fled.

A Munchkin sat on a step, smoking his pipe and looking at her curiously. She supposed she must indeed look very curious.

"I'm looking for her Eminence."

He pointed west. "In the library."

Galinda went further down the main street. The pillars at the front of the library were chipped with stones that had been thrown. The doorway was caked in black ash where the flames must have licked out. It didn't seem safe. Still, Galinda entered.

The fire had not been very thorough. The actual burn damage was haphazard but the stains from the smoke and the soot were everywhere. It wasn't wet, though. No-one had tried to put it out.

Chairs and tables had been turned over to make a stack for setting fire to. Some sections, the frivolous paperbacks, had entirely gone, happily eaten up by the flames. Further to the back the heavy leather bound tomes were more intact. And this is where Galinda found Elphaba.

Elphie turned and didn't seem at all surprised Galinda was there. Possibly relieved. "Hello."

"Elphie!" Galinda hadn't understood until that moment quite how desperate she had been to see her. Her stomach lurched and she sprang across the gap between them. She took Elphie in her arms and after a moment Elphaba took her as well. It was all too tragic, Galinda knew, but she could not help the relief and the happiness at having Elphie so close.

"I am so sorry," Galinda murmured in to her shoulder. "Sweetheart, I am so sorry." She smelled of smoke and sweat and Elphaba.

Elphie coughed and straightened up. The cough was not a polite clearing of the throat, Galinda was well aware. It dragged her back, with a chill, to that dark night in some Oz-forsaken Munchkinland border town. Galinda's hand moved up across Elphie's chest in worry but the object of concern moved away and trailed her fingers across the sooty shelf, leaving Galinda's hand hanging in the air.

"I used to read all the time, at Shiz. Anything I could get my hands on. It was like a joke, to everyone else. But it seemed important. To _know_ things. Not to agree or necessarily understand. Just to know. About the world. About people. Share knowledge, ideas. Good, bad, wrong, right... it doesn't really matter. Still something to know.

"Now I rarely do. I have a great library I use to plot and scheme in. But not read. Maybe I don't want to know any more. I don't want to try to understand. Maybe I think I know everything there is to know.

"They are beautiful though, books. Little treasures. Beautiful as objects. Miraculous, really, as a concept. And look at what these barbarians have done."

She was lost in a different kind of way. Galinda supposed the rioting and Nessa and her guilt were all bound up in each other. If she wanted to talk about books she could talk about books. She had never seen Elphie so open, so empty. Even in the infirmary she had not been so truly exposed. Galinda thought she could see her heart, and it was breaking.

"This was not your fault." It wasn't going to mend anything but it had to be said.

Elphie perched against the edge of a charred table. She scuffed at the once plush carpeting now sprinkled with ash, crossing her arms over her front. Galinda wanted so very much to comfort her.

"Elphie, darling," Galinda went over and put her hands on Elphie's arms to no response. She brushed hair from Elphie's forehead, tucking it behind her ears, trying to pull her together in spite of herself. She cupped Elphie's face and raised it up. There were tears shining in those dark eyes.

"Oh my love," Galinda gushed, thinking she might very possibly cry herself at the sight. "Elphie, don't be sad." She bent down and kissed Elphie quickly on the lips.

She had meant a rallying cry, a prompt, an incentive.

She had meant to pull back.

She had not meant to give in to this, not now. But she couldn't pull back. She kissed her again. She felt Elphaba kissing in return. Her hands ran all over Elphie's face, just feeling her, learning with her fingertips the contours that her eyes knew so well. Elphie's hands went to Galinda's waist, pulling her close, a warm body, a live body.

The embers were stoked.

The kiss deepened.

Galinda moaned.

Elphie's hands were all over her. Elphie was everywhere, she was everything. Galinda ran her hands through the thick black hair and then down the long green neck. At the collar of the blouse she undid a button.

And then another. And then another.

Kissing down Elphaba's neck she slipped a hand under the blouse and found Elphaba's bare skin. Elphie inhaled sharply, as did Galinda. It was madness, it was insanity. But it was so very necessary.

Elphie leant down and kissed Galinda again, her hands on Galinda's face until they moved to unbutton Galinda's dress. It dropped to the floor unceremoniously and Elphaba surged forward, pushing them from the table, Galinda's hands buried in Elphie's hair as lips burned her everywhere.

Lowered to the floor in Elphie's arms, Galinda stripped the remaining blouse off Elphie and ran her hands up her tightly muscled back, traced her fingers across the scar on her ribs, drifted a touch across her abdomen. Galinda was in awe. She looked up at Elphie and thought the girl must know. She must know.

Their eyes locked for a moment. Elphie's were smouldering. Galinda began to say something but was cut off with a frantic kiss. Her hands worked away behind Galinda's back at her brassiere. It came off and then Elphie was gone, mouth across Galinda's chest, disappeared to make her moan.

And how she moaned.

She could feel the flames still, the heat of the fire. The residue of that energy and intensity lingered in the room. Her body crackled with it; Elphie's touch scorched her.

The moaning turned to panting.

A disembodied Galinda clutched at the carpet, feeling completely undone.

It was that yearning made real, that desperate love transformed in to desperate sensation. Elphaba had overwhelmed her mind and now was overwhelming her body.

Then she did come undone, crying out Elphie's name as she trembled.

Elphie reappeared gradually, blazing kisses all the way up Galinda's body, each one of which almost undid her all over again.

Now she kissed Elphie. She kissed every inch of her. Every wonderful inch. She kissed her eyelids, her ears, the sharpness of her collar bone. And every terrifying inch. She kissed her still-red wound, she kissed marks on her arms she had never noticed before. She drew down Elphie's skirt and kissed burn scars on her legs and feet. Elphie sighed and squirmed and Galinda came back to her lips, pressing herself close.

A pair of hands, one pale and one green, ran down between their bodies. Together they moved slowly, Galinda concentrating on Elphie, concentrating on her... Until Elphie stiffened and Galinda gasped in to her neck and they relaxed against one another.

Elphie kissed her again, a different kind of kiss it seemed to Galinda. Not just passion. Maybe love. But with Galinda still clinging to her, Elphaba got up off the floor without a word. Galinda let her hands fall back down, feeling as empty now as she had earlier felt full.

As Elphaba buttoned her shirt the verdict came. "This can never happen again."


	9. Chapter 9

Boq jumped as Elphaba stormed in to the library. He looked up at her, fearful for a moment. Things had been a little tense since their minor scuffle of the other day. Which was to be expected. But he would rather there be tension than another Thropp in the chapel. Or, indeed, himself.

"Galinda's here." He settled for nothing more than a notification.

"Yes, I know," she snapped.

"She found you then?"

"Yes." Elphie lingered near the door, looking uncomfortable. A green shadow against the dark wood and deep crimson book bindings.

He looked behind her. "Where is she now?" She could not be less helpful were he trying to extract teeth.

"I left her in town to the rioters," she spat at him. He was unmoved and just sat until she added, "She gone up to her room – a guest room – to a guest room."

Elphie had been in a mood that morning when she left the house. She was positively breathing fire now. So to what did he owe this pleasure? "Can I... help you with something?"

"Something, yes. Something needs to be done." She was distracted and ponderous and intensely irritating.

"Good luck with that. You're not even supposed to leave Colwen Grounds. You know that, don't you? You are under suspicion for the death of Nessa. They will arrest you. They will finally arrest you and they will have every right to."

"I have no regard for the constabulary. I won't let that nonsense – that they have invented solely for the purposes of keeping me quiet – hold me back from what needs to be done."

"But what needs to be done, Elphie? It seems quite obvious what the lot just outside the gates want. Isn't what the people want right? Or are you so much better than everyone else?"

"How would any of us even know what people want? When everyone is too scared to listen or too scared to talk?"

"Not too scared to riot," he muttered.

"That is fear. You think violence isn't just fear?"

"I think violence is violence. At least, with secession, Munchkinland would be safe."

For a moment she was eerily calm. "It isn't enough."

"Says you."

"So did you. At one point." She looked at him and he took it as contempt.

"Do not..." he was actually trembling with rage. "Do not judge me, Elphaba."

"Don't hold back now Boq, don't mince your words. I don't care what your opinion is – just have one."

She was provoking him, he knew that. He just didn't know to what end. "I'll hold or not hold any opinion I like. _I'm_ not looking for a grave."

The animosity between her fearsome glare and the jutting of his jaw was tempered as the door cracked open and Galinda came in. She looked between them. Her presence made Boq pull himself together and turn away from Elphaba before the situation could escalate much further. On the other hand her attendance seemed only to aggravate Elphie more.

Boq pushed up his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. Anger gave way to resignation. He didn't have the energy to maintain it. "What? Tell me, what is it you want to do?"

"I'm going to the Emerald City. Hurry things along a bit."

That was about as much as Boq could cope with. It seemed that the higher the stakes got the more extreme her behaviour. "Hurry things..? You can't _hurry_ an Arjiki army. We need to wait this out. Patience, Elphaba."

"Not one of my virtues."

"I am well aware of that. When?"

"Today. Now, in fact."

"Now? Lurlinemas is two months away still. There's only so much hurrying you can do. Besides, what about Nessa?"

"What about Nessa? Let them have their lying in state. Oz, give her a royal funeral for all I care. I'm leaving. I cannot stay here. I cannot continue to do nothing." Elphie was stalking about with her usual intensity, near enough tripping over her skirt, waving her hands wildly.

"But your father's coming," he said weakly.

She continued to pace and glanced over at him, incredulous. "Is that supposed to induce me to stay?"

That was true enough, he seemed to be losing his touch with her. They were drifting apart. Drifting or being pushed. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that Elphaba never let anything happen by accident. He threw up his hands and turned away, leaving her muttering to herself.

His gaze wandered to Galinda sat in a chair, her red and puffy eyes trained on the pacing Elphie watching in abject, heart wrenching misery.

In a moment he saw it, plain as anything. A fog lifted in his mind. She loved Elphaba.

She must have felt his gaze and looked over at him. He smiled, he hoped sympathetically. He wanted to communicate back to her that he knew, but she frowned in confusion or disapproval. Maybe later they could talk about it. He could console her – politely, she was married after all – and comfort her. Things like that just happened around Elphie.

Boq felt suddenly terribly ashamed of himself. To have suspected something of the girl. She was too sweet, too lovely. Instead she was just drawn to Elphie like they all were.

He knew all about that feeling. Well, not him. But if he'd had a brick for every lovesick suitor he'd seen fall at Elphaba's feet... He sympathised with them. It was so easy to come under Elphie's thrall. Well, not him. Well, maybe, once, a long time ago. He'd been barely twenty. It had been too easy.

Elphie on the other hand was too resolute and just in general too unsentimental for such things. His mind travelled back. It wasn't so much a fog lifting this time as some sort of landslide. For a moment he forgot how to breath and managed to choke himself.

His coughing brought Elphie's attention back to Oz.

With one hand he beat on his chest, the other raised in apology. "Sorry! Sorry. What was I going to say? Oh yes, that's right: this may well be the most ridiculous plan you have ever come up with."

"What I said about speaking your mind, I didn't quite –"

He must be mad, he allowed himself to briefly reflect, saying all this. "And if this all goes horribly and inevitably wrong? You won't be able to come back here, Elphie. You'll be stripped of your title. You'll be on the run."

"I'll take a vow of silence and become a maunt. Hide out in the Vinkus with Fiyero's family. Who cares?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Of course I wouldn't. Don't be insane."

"Elphaba, please."

Both Boq and Elphie turned to Galinda, sat near-forgotten with her legs tucked up under her.

"Don't," Elphie said, apparently as a warning. Boq thought it sounded more like a plea.

Galinda was pale but looked calm. "I'm not trying to stop you. Just let people look out for you. Let Boq help you."

"I can't be helped," she muttered darkly.

Boq wanted to throw something back. However Galinda was looking pointedly at him as she stood up from the chair.

"Yes, you can," Galinda said gently. "People want to help you."

"_People_ should stay well away."

Boq watched Galinda definitely not staying away, approaching on Elphaba who looked like a rabbit in a trap. He feared he was rather late to this party so thought he might let Galinda have a turn, see how much sway she might hold over Elphie.

As it turned out it was not much.

Elphaba stepped back. "No," she said, with terrible finality. "No."

She stormed from the room throwing open the door so violently one of the panels split as it hit the wall. Boq rushed out after her with Galinda close behind. Elphie was halfway up the wide steps.

"You'll end up in Southstairs!" He threw his last, worst threat at her.

"Good!" Elphaba roared back. "Where I belong!"

The hall caught her words in a terrible echo, the house condemning her as well. "Good! Good! Good!" it said. "Belong! Belong! Belong!"

The three of them stood frozen. Elphaba actually looked around the hall as if expecting to see all those ghosts hovering in the air.

"I cannot stay here." She disappeared up the remaining stairs and along the corridor out of sight.

Boq cursed roundly, forgetting about Galinda's proximity, and kicked the newel post. Which made him swear again. "I'm sorry," he said. To the newel, to Galinda, to Elphaba, he wasn't sure.

Galinda was behind him, reaching in comfort, hand on his shoulder. He turned and she moved closer, putting her arms around his shoulders. He held on to her elbows as her face fell in to the crook of her arm, his own face lost in her hair.

There was a sadness in being so ineffective. He wondered if Elphaba knew how she inflicted this on other people. Galinda was newer, less accustomed. Elphaba herself was plumbing new depths. And Boq was scared.

"I'm glad you two are having fun." Elphaba swept down the staircase with her satchel swung over her shoulder, headed across the hall to the door.

They broke apart, Boq hot on her retreating heels. "Elphie, stop!"

There was not even a flicker of an attempt to ignore him. She simply kept going, went down the steps and threw her satchel in to the waiting coach. "Let's go!" she instructed the driver.

"Wait!" Boq implored. "Let me come with you."

Poised halfway in to the cab, one foot on the step she finally turned to him.

"You need to stay here. I need you to pull this apart for me. Tear it all down. We built it together, you finish it. And then you start again. Free from all this. Free from me. You can be what I never was."

He tried to protest but she held his shoulder.

"You can. You've done it before. It's just the return leg of a journey you already know."

He nodded, though he wasn't sure at all what she was talking about.

She looked over his shoulder and he turned to see Galinda stood there, watching.

"And you... you need to stay away. Not here, not in the Emerald City. Go to Frottica."

"I want to come with you. I can help you, Elphie. At least let me travel with you."

"You can't. You shouldn't be in any of this. You shouldn't be anywhere near it. Or me."

Galinda was advancing on her, coming past Boq as if he wasn't there. "Don't say that."

Having clearly had enough Elphie swung herself in to the carriage and rapped on the roof. The driver took off at a brisk trot, causing Galinda and Boq to stumble backwards at the surprise. They stood and impotently watched the carriage roll away.

Galinda was looking at him, quiet but with her eyes wide. "You really think she can change all this?"

He fell back on the one truth that had guided him all these years. "Someone has to. If anyone, it would be her."

* * *

Elphaba stepped out of her carriage after a grumpy week on the road looking every bit as tired and grubby as she was. Out on to the pristine and emerald encrusted driveway of the Palace. She had never been this close to the dragon's lair. But she was born of the Time Dragon and added to the green it gave her an uneasy feeling of being all rather natural.

This was business, not pleasure. Even while travelling word had reached her of a meeting. A last chance to derail, before more drastic action was taken. Her appearance, though startling in various respects, was not entirely unexpected and one helpfully incompetent guard in fact gave her directions to the council room, assuming her attendance was planned.

Her entrance brought the room to silence. She rather hoped it would. Startled Munchkins and Munchkinlanders alike looked up at the fuming Eminence.

"Miss Thropp!" Nipp, the mayor of Center Munch, stood. "Welcome. We weren't expecting you."

"You mean I wasn't invited. Don't worry, I'm sure it got lost in the post. The service along that road can be shocking." She dared, just dared, any of them to say a word about it. They didn't.

The long table was less than half filled. It was just a standard committee room, there were a dozen or so in the Palace. The Munchkins were precariously balanced on cushions to reach the table, putting their feet a good distance from the floor. The Wizard had never been particularly concerned about the needs of any of his less-standard citizens.

Nipp opted for the path of least resistance. "Well, take a seat. You look like you could do with some refreshment."

"You could do with a bath," came from further down the table, anonymously and hidden amongst snickers.

"I am perfectly fine." She shot a look at everyone in the general vicinity of the chuckling and sat at the far end of the table, a clear two chairs between her and her nearest neighbours.

"We were just discussing –"

"I know what you are doing. Why do you think I am here?"

"Why _are_ you here?" Emboldened, her opposition was now springing up all over the table.

"As Eminence I have every right to be here."

"So you want to be Eminence now, after all this time?"

"Perhaps I don't play the role to your liking. You're mistaken if you thought that was by accident. I assure you it was quite deliberate."

"We all know why you are here," Nipp interrupted. "To upset the perfectly legitimate and democratic steps being taken towards secession. Now, why in Oz could you oppose it?" There was a hum of agreement with the rhetorical question.

"The power you pretend to dislike would melt away!" There was another round of mumbling.

"An independent Munchkinland would make my position all the more powerful. Except, shockingly gentlemen, power is not my object. I know you dislike my position – family titles as opposed to your pillaged and plundered wealth – and you know I dislike it in turn. _We_ are not the issue."

She looked around the table. "Secession or not we are going to be perfectly comfortable. It is only a matter of how many degrees above comfortable you want to be, holding the produce and people of Munchkinland to ransom. It's them – it's the rest of Oz that should be the concern. We have the ability to make those people's lives bearable. The dozen of us in return for the hundreds of thousands of them."

"In return? An exchange?" A shaky voice was accompanied by a stout Munchkin rising from his chair. "She means to blow us all up, like she did her sister."

Elphaba barked out a laugh. "All I'm asking you to give up is some of the wealth and power you have amassed. Give it back to the people who you took it from. In whose name you sit here now, pretending at democracy with your bribery and rotten boroughs."

"Libel!" someone called. "Slander!" Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Order!" Nipp shouted. In the silence he warned, "You're getting very close to a line, Miss Thropp."

"We're nowhere near my line," she growled.

"Get her out of here!"

"You thought I was going to behave myself? You know who I am, yes?"

"Guards!"

Palace guards did indeed come through the door, seeming to know instinctively Elphaba was the target. She did stick out somewhat.

"Get off." She shook her arms from their hands. "I'm going." She headed to the door but turned at the last minute. "Don't do this," she said, feeling terribly close to begging. "Please. Don't do this."

The guards hauled her out, the door was closed. She allowed herself only a clock tick to sag, to feel anger, to feel defeat. Thoughts of revenge swirled in her mind, starting to coalesce in to a vague threat against that bunch of cretins – once she had some power, once she was in charge. That thought scared her, the assumptions scared her.

Then she straightened. "Take me to the Wizard." Her escorts looked at one another. "Just do it," she sighed. "Don't pretend to think about it. You will eventually."

They did, going through endless chambers and ante rooms until they finally reached a cluster of people. A secretary disappeared in to the Throne Room through an unnecessarily tall door. Elphaba was used to wishing doors were taller in Munchkinland. This door was excessive. When the secretary reappeared he nodded at her. She took that as permission.

The room was not as Elphaba had pictured it. It was large and dark, lit by candles. The Wizard was not sat on the throne so she felt free to ignore it. She'd heard about his flare for theatrics and was alert, ready for anything that might be – literally or not – thrown at her.

It did not come. Instead there was just a voice. "Why, if it isn't the Eminent Thropp."

"Your... Wizardiness." It was close enough, she thought. She still hadn't set eyes on him and was scanning the room. A scuffle in a curtain off to the side caught her eye. She wasn't sure why she felt so anticipatory. A man emerged, old but not that old, tall but not that tall. Perfectly ordinary.

"Being as I never ever see you at court what could I possibly owe this pleasure to? Is it perhaps possible," he said, with a strange little gesture, "that you might need something from me and have decided to end your self-imposed exile for your own benefit with nary a _thought_ for me all these years?"

"Along those lines," she said grudgingly. She had always thought nothing would be worth enduring court for but clearly that had been a mistake. Yet more flaws in her campaign swarmed her mind. She shook her head to dislodge them. "You need to stop the secession."

"And why should I do that, Miss Thropp?"

"Because it is being perpetrated wrongly, like all things. You need to repeal the Animal Banns and halt the exploitation of Quadling Country. Oz is falling apart."

"It seems to me the people are perfectly happy. The representatives from Munchkinland all seem in favour of secession."

"Some people are happy. Many people are utterly destroyed. "

"I like you," the Wizard said, completing a circuit around her and making her feel prodigiously uncomfortable. "You've got a spark."

"You don't know anything about me."

"Au contraire, my dear. I know a good deal about you."

"Nothing you can prove."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We're working on it, we will just have to see," he mused. "I know you have just been with your fellow countrymen discussing things in a less than civilised way."

"They won't see. They don't want to see."

"So you thought you would go straight to the top? In all your fervour for democracy you want me to overrule?" His eyebrows quirked and he looked at her quizzically. She knew exactly what he was getting at, playing with her.

Through gritted teeth she said "It is very much a last resort."

"And how does that make you feel?"

"Like ripping someone's head off?"

"Now, now. Violence. Speaking of which, aren't you supposed to be under house arrest?"

"It sounded boring," she snapped back. "Besides, what would you lot do without me to terrorise you?" Just the return leg of a journey she already knew. She had survived before. She had recovered before.

"Maybe we should allow you a little fresh air and exercise. Your arrest was not my idea, I would add. Your Munchkinland friends were very insistent on it."

"Good to know. I expect no less."

He laughed. "I do so wish you had come to court. It would have been much more fun than all those fools and ninnies."

"I am not here for your amusement."

"That's the joke," he said, tone conspiratorial. "You all are."

"What?"

"Anyway, my dear –"

"What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just a silly old man's ramblings. I am a silly old man, you know, which is why I have quite forgotten my manners. Would you like some tea?"

"No," she said with a sneer.

"It shall be tea for one then, how sad." He turned his back to her, she thought a deliberate show of confidence, of trust he knew she would not break. There was nothing to do anyway, other than assault him with his own teapot.

Instead she turned her attention elsewhere, trying to glean a clue in to his clearly addled mind from the rest of the room. She moved to the nearest wall, looking at the collections of paraphernalia. There were framed newspaper clippings about the Wizard, some of those gaudy scrolls quoting his wisdom and inspirational speeches. Apparently even living in such an ostentatious monstrosity of a palace did not soothe his ego enough, she reflected. He needed to be surrounded by his own propaganda. She moved further around the room, towards the back where, stood in a small rack, she saw something she recognised.

Her hand was shaking as it reached up and rubbed dust from one of the bottles. It was green, a faded label proclaiming a magic elixir. She heard the Wizard heading over, and braced herself.

"Where did you get these?"

"I brought them with me. From my home, before Oz." He stood next to her and seemed to be studying her, her particular gaze.

"My mother had one. She kept it, from before I born. It was connected, somehow. My Nanny took it and showed it to me once."

He looked at her, his own particular gaze. "How old are you?"

"Twenty five. When did you come to Munchkinland?" She felt strangely, unnaturally calm without wanting to be. It was just facts, only facts.

"That would be about twenty five years ago. I was just finding my way. I enjoyed..." He reached his hand out to touch her. She smacked it away.

"No," she said. It wasn't just a command to him. It was an instruction to Time. She wanted time to stop. She wouldn't go any further. She would use every bit of her strength to wrestle it back, to not have this knowledge confirmed. "No," she repeated.

"You're my..."

"No!" It was as true as it had been all her life but she didn't need to _know_. She did not have to accept.

"Elphaba?"

"No. Don't call me that. Stay away."

Too much. It was too much. "I have to go." She fled. She would worry about that, about how it might have looked like capitulation, about _him_, later. Not only had she not succeeded in any of her aims, things looked to have become worse, which had hardly seemed possible before.

Behind her she heard the Wizard call, "Let her go!" to the Gale Force officers in the hall.

She stormed through the corridors, only vaguely aware of the direction of her escape. Someone made chase after her for a little while but she ignored them and they gave up in time. A guard positioned outside the door she finally made her exit from shouted after her. His role was to stop people getting in, not out, so he did not follow.

Elphaba gasped in the fresh air. With one look back over her shoulder at the Palace she disappeared in to the crowd of people in the streets.

* * *

The party should have been a welcome distraction but instead Galinda found herself milling about aimlessly. She didn't want to meet anyone and she certainly did not want to engage in small talk. She did want to speak though. There was no-one here who would listen, no-one who could act even if they would listen. She made up her mind to leave. The pretence was now unbearable.

"Eiranda of the Arduennas of the Uplands and Haiwel of Frottica," she heard the butler announce. Clearly she would not be leaving just yet. She watched the pair come in to the room, greet their hosts and say a few words to others nearby. She saw her mother's eyes scanning the party until they alighted on her. She made her way over.

"Mother, Father." She curtsied in front of them. "I did not know you were in the City."

"Darling," her mother replied, kissing her. "We never know where you are these days." There was a smile on her face but ice in her voice. "Is there somewhere we can talk?"

Galinda did not like the sound of this. But she wanted to talk too. If there was to be an argument best to get everything out and done with.

They discreetly took themselves to a small parlour off the entrance hall and with palpable tension sat themselves down in three of the four chairs a mercifully decent distance from one another.

"So," her mother began, that fake voice as if they were still in company. "Where have you been hiding?"

"I have been away. I asked Chuffrey to let you know."

"He did, but it was no less confusing. He seemed unsure himself."

"Do I have to lodge my itinerary with you before I go anywhere?"

Her mother looked disapproving. "Now, do not get excited dear. We are just trying to talk to you. We were worried."

"There's no need."

"But we think there is, cariad," her father said gently, leaning forward and using the Perthan endearment.

"And what are you worried about?" she asked, feeling perfectly confident they could not come anywhere close to the actual situation.

"Well, about you," Eiranda flapped. "About you and your whereabouts and your safety."

Indeed, Galinda thought. And my company and my actions. She rose from her chair, feeling too much energy running through her limbs. "I am quite well. In fact my time away has done me good. I have been thinking." She paused. "I'm going to leave Chuffrey."

Her mother gaped at her. Galinda felt oddly unmoved. "I know it will be scandalous and awful but it's not impossible. People have divorced before and will do again."

"Your mother and I..." said her father, vague threat in his voice but unable to say anything real. He stood and paced over to the window.

"Yes?" Galinda enquired. "Mother and you what? Mother and you got me in to this situation. You can listen to me when I say I want to get out."

Eiranda found her voice. It was shrill. "You think you can just run off and start a new life? It would be clouded in shame and infamy! And us? What about us Galinda? What about Chuffrey?"

"I'm not sure Chuff will mind too much. You, I don't know. Maybe you'll never speak to me again. It doesn't matter." She would burn all those bridges and more.

With her father still stood looking out of the window pulling at his beard her mother rose too, moving behind her chair to take a hold of it. No-one in this family could keep their seat for an argument, Galinda noticed.

"Darling," Eiranda was trying a new tack. "Darling, I do understand. You are young and beautiful. I'm sure many young men must say all sorts of pretty things to you..."

So, so wrong. They had done and Galinda had never been impressed. As it turned out, she knew now, that was because young men – and pretty words – did not really appeal to her. The latter part was just as well really, the idea of Elphaba spouting sonnets almost made her laugh there and then.

"There is temptation everywhere and you are hungry for the world. If you must, if you truly must, there are experiences you can have without breaking up your marriage..." her mother was continuing.

Abruptly Haiwel slammed his fist against the wall. "No Eiranda," he exclaimed, making both Galinda and her mother jump. "No." He turned back to face them both. "That does not solve these problems."

Galinda looked between her parents. That was not exactly a revelation but it was closer to an admission about the state of their marital affairs, indeed extra-marital affairs, than she had ever heard before.

"Very well, what do you suggest?" The argument was in danger of just taking place between the couple. Galinda thought maybe she could leave them to it.

She barrelled in again though. "It's not like Chuffrey doesn't –"

"That's different!" her father roared, making Galinda take a step back.

She steadied herself and surged forward once more. "Why? Because he's a man?"

"Because he's not my only daughter!"

"Don't try and claim this is out of any concern for me! It's not, I know it's not. It never has been. It's only for yourselves."

Her mother was sobbing. "We knew you would be safe with him. That he could look after you."

"I didn't want to be looked after. I wanted to live."

"And he's not done a very good job in any case." Haiwel pointed out. "I like the man but hell on Oz he hasn't exactly lived up to my vision of a son-in-law."

"That's because he's too old to be your son."

Her father ignored her. "He has not kept you at heel."

"Oh! At heel? A dog am I now?" Galinda stormed, her tone rising and her accent lilting with her unguarded words.

"Where have you been Galinda? No cheek now girl! Where have you been all this week past?"

"That's none of your concern. Or at least it shouldn't be."

"It is my concern! How could I fail to be concerned?" There was a moment of tenderness from him but she could not allow herself to give in, no matter how much she craved sympathy from her father. No matter how much she just wanted him to hold her and tell her everything would be alright.

"I was quite well." She was deliberately cold. "I can look after myself. I was with friends."

He shook his head, frustrated clearly but Galinda was not going to yield any more. "You just can't do these things. There are many, many reasons."

"Tell me them, then. So I can refute them."

She was pleased to see him look a little shocked at her strong words. Sad too that he could underestimate her the way everyone else did. Almost everyone else did.

"You just cannot. The expense for one thing!"

She scoffed. "Expense? Money is one thing there is no short supply of."

"Whose wealth is this money, Galinda?" He looked at her forcefully, knowing she was trapped.

Her mother sobbed even harder at the words. Of course it came down to that. The wealth her mother had been sold for by her own parents, a title for a fortune. Sold in to a life of comfort and pleasure. It didn't sound so bad when you put it like that, Galinda knew. It was an argument used on her plenty of times. What did it matter to be subjugated when you lived a life of luxury? What did it matter that anyone else was subjugated when you lived a life of luxury?

"Yours... Chuffrey's..." she struggled. "That can hardly be used against me! When was I ever given the chance to make my own money? That I am trapped by it is your fault."

"You want your inheritance to yourself? So you can revel in frivolity all over Oz?"

"I don't care about luxuries! I used to care, you made me care, you made me think that was all there was. Then I despised them because they had entrapped me. Now..." she thought to herself about all the things money could do. "I don't want it for myself. I want it better spent."

Her mother looked completely lost. "Have you been in a mauntery? Seduced by anarchists? What could you mean?"

Something like that, Galinda mused. "I mean I can see outside of myself now."

Eiranda's hands went to her face and she resumed sobbing.

"This is not a bad thing!" Galinda protested. "This is a good thing. Some people would be proud of me. But you don't even want to see. I feel... I feel awake..." The word took her back to Elphaba. To Elphaba not dying in her arms. To Elphaba lying naked in her arms.

It was all too precious to be squandered, why could they not see it?

"You're in love," Eiranda stated. That was something she could see. It was clear, Galinda knew. She was only surprised everyone in the damn city was not well aware.

She would not be drawn however. Her mother still misunderstood if she thought that was all it was. Yes, she was in love. But there were other aspects to her awakening.

Completely frustrated Haiwel headed back over to the window, Galinda could see his shoulders sagging. He did not care for love. Even if her mother was on the verge of being swayed by sentiment he never would be. He had been too hurt by it.

"Will he marry you? Even with a scandal? Is it anyone we know?"

Galinda actually laughed. "Mother," she said almost affectionately. "So quick to start making new plans. No, he would not marry me. Indeed I doubt he loves me even a fraction of how I feel. If he even loves me at all."

Eiranda was completely bemused. "But then why, Galinda? Why all this upset over nothing? If he will not take you – if he may not even love you – mightn't you be as well to stay?"

"There's no affair?" her father chimed in, sounding almost relieved. Perhaps he thought the situation could be salvaged.

"Regrettably not," she sighed, addressing him. Not a full blown affair anyway. There were no rendezvous or secret assignations. Just Galinda feeling as though her heart might burst.

She turned to her mother. "I know now. I know what life can be. I know what love can be. And I know you know. Both of you know but you didn't find it with each other and you were always terrified I would find out what it really is. Well I have. You can carry on. I can't."

The colour drained from Eiranda's face. It even seemed to pale from her dress, Galinda's terror affecting her vision.

"This is not how we raised you, Galinda."

"I'm not sure you can claim to have raised me at all." Oh, the truth. Finally rearing its ugly head.

There were no more tears. Just her mother straightening herself out. Shoulders back, chin up, game face on. And she left without a backward glance.

Her father cast a glance at his wife's retreating back but still lingered. "I'm disappointed in you, Galinda."

Feeling anything but calm Galinda shrugged. "You always were."

He paused on his way out of the room. "No," he said, as if surprised. "No, I wasn't."

She didn't believe him.

"On your wedding day –" he began, but she interrupted him with an incredulous noise, full of tears. "Don't!"

"I was proud of you. You were beautiful, when I walked you down the aisle."

"I want to be more than beautiful! You never gave me that chance. You marched me down that aisle before I ever had a chance to know who I was."

"And this is who you are? Selfish and petulant, hm?"

"No." How could he misunderstand so? "I can see my way towards something important. Maybe even happiness."

"At the cost of what Galinda? Your mother's happiness? Chuffrey's? Everything we have worked so hard to get for you?"

He was furious, she had never seen him so engaged. She had always longed for him to really look at her but it was all wrong now. It wasn't supposed to be like this. "Father, please!" The tears came finally, as the door closed leaving her alone.

Galinda fell in to a chair and wept. She had not expected it to be a congenial conversation but nor had she expected to be so thoroughly torn to pieces. She wasn't sure why she had ever hoped for anything else. She had resigned herself to estrangement from her parents. That did not mean she could not be sad now it had happened.

As much as she had spoken of happiness she was sad in other ways too. Yes she was in love but it was a tricky thing. She was suffering the agonies of it, with precious few of the ecstasies. She truly had no idea what the future might hold but she knew what she didn't want it to hold. Even if her future did not contain Elphaba it could not contain Chuffrey.

When she left the building she declined the footman hailing a cab for her. On foot, impulsive and unsure but determined, she headed out in to the night.


End file.
